Otti’s investments in sports development thrill Okorie

For the religious zeal with which he has pursued sports development in Abia State since taking the reins in 2023, and the altruism he has displayed in his bid to bring about broad social impact/good governance, Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has earned the plaudits of the Performance Director and Liaison Officer of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Victor Okorie.
Okorie, the Performance Director and Liaison Officer of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), while speaking over the weekend, expressed delight at the state’s progress, predicting that if the momentum is sustained, the state would soon challenge sports strongholds like Delta, Edo, and Lagos in major national competitions.
He added that the positive turnaround in Abia sports demonstrates that a society once considered irredeemable can flourish when competent leadership is saddled with the task of revolutionising governance and improving lives.
Describing stories about the positive changes in Abia State since Otti became governor as welcome news, Okorie said that the results that are being applauded by stakeholders in the state’s sports indicate that things can actually work in a society hitherto described as irredeemable if the right persons are allowed to bring their expertise to bear on the society.
“You can imagine what Abia State would become in the next four years if Otti continues this way.
“We were made to believe that sports development had no real chance in Abia State because the state is poor. So, where is Otti getting the money he is investing in the youths?
“When the ultra-modern stadium currently under construction becomes operational, Abia will become one of the few states in Nigeria with modern sports facilities.
“Right now, everybody goes to Akwa Ibom to play because managers of the state in the past had the vision to build the Godswill Akpabio Stadium. Now, I hear that the new Abia Stadium will even be better than that of Uyo when completed. This is a state that hitherto had no tartan track, which is one of the most common facilities you can find elsewhere in Nigeria.”
Apart from sports, Okorie said that the systematic rejuvenation of the state’s two main cities, Aba and Umuahia, has given the people a lot to talk about, adding that the towns have “created a feel-good factor that the citizens now walk with their shoulders high.”
He said: “The systematic construction of walkways across the cities is unprecedented in the history of the state. We now have modern bus terminals and electric buses that have made travelling from one part of the state to another a joy in itself.
“I believe that many people in Aba, especially those living within the Ngwa Road and Port Harcourt Road axis, will not want to wake from this sweet sleep.
“If anybody had told them 10 years ago that one day they would travel from Ngwa Road through Port Harcourt Road to the expressway, they would have seen that person as a madman. But that is exactly what they are experiencing now.”
Canvassing both home and overseas-based stakeholders support for the governor, Okorie called on all Abia residents “to be vigilant as the elections approach to ensure that nobody, under any guise, comes to take away our joy. We must ensure that Otti completes his eight years in office.