A delegation from the Federal House of Representatives Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations has commended the Abia State Government for its proactive steps toward strengthening safety regulation across the state.
The delegation, led by the Committee Chairman, David Idris Zakarias, made the commendation during a courtesy visit to the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, at the Government House in Umuahia.

Speaking during the visit, Governor Otti reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to establishing the Abia State Safety Commission, aimed at ensuring effective regulation of safety standards in homes, offices, markets, and industries across the state.
The Governor disclosed that the process for setting up the Commission is already underway, noting that the policy has received approval from the State Executive Council and is currently awaiting legislative action for full implementation.

Governor Otti stressed that beyond creating a regulatory body, the reorientation of the public on safety consciousness remains critical to preventing disasters and safeguarding lives and property.
“What I find even more important is the reorientation of our people, letting them understand that some of their practices, especially in markets and workshops, expose them to risks rather than protect them,” the Governor said.

He noted that unsafe electrical wiring and improper storage of combustible materials remain common in many markets and workshops, warning that such practices increase the risk of fire outbreaks and other hazards.
“In some markets, you see dark-line electrical wires and combustible materials kept unsafely. We must continue to educate our people and ensure fire extinguishers are available,” he added.
The Governor further emphasized that safety regulation must cover all sectors, noting that while fire incidents are the most common emergencies, safety extends beyond fire prevention.
“Safety is all-encompassing. It’s not just about fire, though fire is the most frequent emergency here,” he said.
Governor Otti also assured the delegation that his administration intends to institutionalize the safety initiative through legislation so that future governments can sustain and build on it.
He revealed that the state currently operates more than ten fire trucks and is working towards deploying firefighting equipment across all local government areas to strengthen emergency response capacity.

While appreciating the efforts of the federal lawmakers, the Governor encouraged the Committee to promote the establishment of similar safety commissions in other states.
“This is a good initiative, and you should get other states to adopt it,” he noted, adding that the primary objective of the policy is not revenue generation but the protection of lives, property, and investments.

Earlier in his remarks, Hon. Zakarias said the Committee’s visit was part of efforts to advocate for the establishment of the Abia State Safety Commission (ASSC), noting that Lagos State currently operates a similar structure.
He explained that widespread non-compliance with safety standards has led to avoidable loss of lives and damage to businesses across the country.
“With the pace of industrial growth in Abia, there is a compelling need for a safety commission to protect citizens and investments,” he stated.
Also speaking, Health and Safety Consultant to the Committee, Iwu Finian, commended Governor Otti’s leadership and the ongoing economic transformation in the state.
He observed that Abia’s growing investments in manufacturing, construction, oil services, and agro-processing sectors make the establishment of a safety regulatory body both timely and necessary.

Dr. Finian warned that the absence of such a regulatory framework exposes citizens and businesses to health and legal risks while limiting potential revenue opportunities tied to compliance and certification.
Officials present at the meeting included the Commissioner for Environment, Philemon Asonye Ogbonna; the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday; and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Legal Matters, Cleopatra Ubani.

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has reaffirmed his administration’s readiness to work hand-in-hand with the Federal Government to curb the spread of small arms and light weapons across the country.

Governor Otti gave the assurance when he received the new South-East Zonal Director of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), Captain Chris Anusiem, and his team at Government House, Umuahia.

He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for strengthening the Federal Government’s fight against illicit weapons through the establishment of the centre and the appointment of his “long-time friend,” DIG Johnson Babatunde Kukum, as Director-General of NCCSALW.

“Virtually all the crimes you see around are committed with light weapons and small arms,” Otti said. “If we don’t eliminate them, or at least reduce them to the barest minimum, we cannot have peace. Security is central to everything we do, and it cannot be handled in silos. We will continue to collaborate with federal agencies to achieve this goal.”

Highlighting the joint security council meetings regularly held in Abia, the Governor stressed the importance of inter-state and inter-agency cooperation to ensure that criminals cannot evade justice by fleeing to neighbouring states.

Captain Anusiem, in his remarks, described the NCCSALW as a key Federal Government initiative to build an illicit-arms-free society, pledging close collaboration with Abia State to keep the region safe. He lauded the Governor’s commitment to peace and security, noting that the proliferation of small arms in the Sahel and beyond remains a major national challenge.

The Governor’s Special Adviser on Security, Navy Commander MacDonald Uba, and other top officials were present at the meeting.

CAN WE JUST ALLOW THIS GOVERNOR TO BREATHE?

Since the creation of Abia State, we have had Governors — men who carried the sacred mandate of leadership but left behind records that today weigh on the conscience of our people.

We had Orji Uzor Kalu, who came into power with youthful energy and political charm, but quickly abandoned the greater good for personal empire-building. The state stagnated under the burden of patronage and self-interest.

We had T.A. Orji, who promised liberation but ended up chaining Abia with policies that favored cronies over citizens, leaving roads broken, institutions hollow, and morale at its lowest.

We had Okezie Ikpeazu, whose era was drowned in rhetoric, endless excuses, and cosmetic projects that never touched the true suffering of the people.

I knew these men. I watched them closely. None of them can honestly be said to have governed with purpose. They pale in comparison to what we are witnessing in Abia State today. They only succeeded in enriching themselves, their families, and their loyalists — while the masses remained trapped in poverty, watching the rest of Nigeria march forward. They were clueless in the art of governance.

So I ask again: Can we just allow this Governor to breathe?

Today, under His Excellency Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, we have a different kind of Leadership, we are witnessing something radically different. For the first time since 1999, Abia has a Governor who came prepared, who understands governance not as a stage for personal drama but as a mission for collective upliftment.

Dr. Otti has shown intentional leadership — purposeful, thoughtful, and focused. He is repairing not just our roads but our dignity. He is rebuilding not just infrastructure but hope. He is redefining governance as service, not as an industry of plunder.

Yet, instead of rallying behind this new dawn, opposition voices — the very architects of yesterday’s ruin — are howling from every corner, desperate to distract him, to derail him, to suffocate progress.

And so I ask again: Can we just allow this Governor to breathe?

The framers of our Constitution, imperfect as it may be, understood the need to shield the Chief Executive from incessant distractions. That is why they enshrined Immunity — not as a license for impunity, but as a breathing space for governance.

The idea, the constitutional wisdom is simple: give the Governor the room to work. Let oversight institutions record, track, and investigate as they must. But let the man elected by the people focus on the task of rebuilding. Opposition is healthy for democracy, but when it crosses the line into nuisance, it is no longer patriotism — it is sabotage.

And so we must ask again: Can we just allow this Governor to breathe?

Under Dr. Otti, Abia has a track Record that Speaks, Abia State is already repositioning itself:

* Roads that had become metaphors for abandonment are being reconstructed with quality never before seen in the state.

* Salaries and pensions, once a nightmare for civil servants, are now prioritized and paid promptly.

* Education and healthcare are no longer back-burner issues but front-burner priorities.

*. Transparency and accountability are not empty slogans but visible practices.

* Investors, once fleeing Abia, are beginning to look our way again.

*. And the long-dreamed Abia Airport project — which his predecessor Ikpeazu could not build — has now been brought back to life under Governor Otti, proving that where there is vision and will, there will always be a way.

The difference is stark. The nation sees it. The diaspora celebrates it. Even those who opposed him during the elections cannot deny that something new is unfolding in Abia.

So the question remains: Can we just allow this Governor to breathe?

Those who plundered Abia for two decades must understand: their time has passed. They cannot hold the future hostage because they are uncomfortable with a leader who has chosen a higher road. The attacks, the noise, the campaigns of calumny — they do not weaken Dr. Alex Otti; they only reveal the desperation of men who fear irrelevance.

Abia deserves peace. Abia deserves focus. Abia deserves transformation without distraction.

And so, with all the weight of history, with the voice of a people who have suffered enough and as a plea to Conscience, I ask one last time:

Can we just allow this Governor to breathe?

Yours Faithfully,

Chief Dr. David Ogba Onuoha Bourdex MFR,OON
—Ugo’Ena” Nde Abiriba…Far from home.