Sage M.W

Governor Alex Otti is not highly admired by civil servants in Abia State, as they claim he is constantly auditing every ministry and agency. He runs the state's bureaucracy like a business, to the anger of those who see government jobs as a source of free money. He withholds salary for every default. But others praise him for conducting the most transparent employment exercises; my friend received an offer from Abia State University and his first salary—which he said was even higher than what was stated in his employment letter—without paying anyone or knowing anyone. I have met and know many people who secured teaching jobs in primary and secondary schools without paying bribes, which was the norm previously. The physical aesthetics of Aba have not improved much, but the roads are way better and the environment is cleaner. The brash brushing culture still remains; people run in front of Keke Napep. There are no marked pedestrian crossings. There is this calm. The generator noise has almost disappeared from all the clothing-making areas in Kent, York, Tennant, Cameron, Azikiwe or Pounds Road; even St. Michael's is quiet now. There is a predictable pattern in electricity supply; even when the supply is interrupted, people wait patiently for it to return because it is going to be restored. It has been raining for an hour now and is continuing as I type this, but we have power. Lastly, I think he is investing in more citizen-centered infrastructure [the schools with running water, the hospitals with electricity and consumables, the developments outside the urban areas] rather than "legacy projects." The results of these will be evident in years to come, not immediately.