Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has said prayers, sacrifices and support of residents significantly contributed to the state in 35 years of its existence.
Mr Otti stated this on Sunday at an interdenominational thanksgiving service marking activities for Abia’s 35th anniversary.
The service was organised by the state government and held at the Okpara Square Event Centre, Umuahia, under the theme, ‘The Rise of a New Abia.’
The event featured prayers of thanksgiving for Abia’s creation and sustenance, alongside prayers for its leadership, peace, security, institutions and people.
Mr Otti said the anniversary provided an opportunity for residents to acknowledge God’s role in the state’s journey and development.
He said, “Today, what we came to do is to mark 35 years of the creation of Abia State.
We chose to start this celebration with thanksgiving, and that is also what we have always done, even from 2023.
“We are not in any doubt that it is the prayers, the sacrifices, our people that have contributed to the progress recorded in Abia.”
The governor recalled that following the 2023 governorship election, he and his supporters visited churches to offer thanksgiving after his victory.
He commended religious leaders for their continued prayers and support for peace, progress and development across the state.
“I want to thank the men of God who stood in the gap, who have been standing in the gap, who will still stand in the gap for this state,” Mr Otti said.
Mr Otti urged Abia residents not to lose hope despite difficulties, stressing that perseverance and faith remained essential to achieving desired outcomes.
He also congratulated Governor Adeleke of Osun State on his electoral victory, noting his maternal connection to Abia State through his mother.
Mr Otti said Mr Adeleke’s mother hailed from Akwete in the Ukwa East Local Government Area of Abia State.
The governor prayed for continued blessings, peace and progress in Abia State and appreciated everyone who participated in the anniversary thanksgiving.
A former governor Cross River, Senator Liyel Imoke, commended the Otti administration for what he described as unprecedented transformation across Abia State.
Mr Imoke said his assessment was based not only on testimonies during the service but also on his personal observations of government projects.
“The transformation that has happened in Abia is unprecedented,” Mr Imoke said.
He urged Abia residents to continue supporting the administration and prayed for Mr Otti’s victory in the 2027 elections.
Mr Imoke said such support would enable the governor to continue his development efforts across the state.
In his exhortation, Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Archdiocese, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, described the anniversary as a sacred threshold.
Mr Ugorji said the occasion provided an opportunity to thank God for His blessings on Abia State since its creation.
He said Abia’s creation in 1991 was more than an administrative exercise, describing it as the fulfilment of the dream of a people.
The archbishop said attaining 35 years represented a testimony to God’s faithfulness and the birth of a new phase for Abia State.
He said Mr Otti’s emergence heralded a period when governance was increasingly aligned with the welfare of the people.
Mr Ugorji urged the governor to sustain the development trajectory and leave Abia State better and more prosperous than he met it.
The thanksgiving featured praise and worship led by renowned gospel artiste, Buchi, and attracted government officials, political leaders and traditional rulers.
Religious leaders and residents also attended the service, which formally commenced activities marking the state’s 35th anniversary.
Abia State was created on August 27, 1991, by the military government under former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd).
(NAN)