The New Abia

After the 2023 gubernatorial election through which Dr. Alex Otti emerged as the duly elected governor of Abia state, the masses by their own assessment are rejoicing extensively as a result of the progress made so far by the government.

For a government whose mantra is “The New Abia”, there is every need to hold them to exceptionally high standards as it pertains to indices of governance. This explains why we are even having this conversation in the public.

One thing we know so well and appreciate under this dispensation of leadership is that efforts are being made to always address challenges that pose any form of threat to the wellbeing of the masses. That is how it should ordinarily be.

This is the reason why citizens are now more encouraged than ever before to speak up about the challenges the face in the state with the view that the people in power address these issues raised and proffer long-lasting solutions to whatever the challenges are.

Abia State University Uturu (ABSU) a great citadel of learning has also recently benefitted from the “New Abia approach” to solving pressing existential problems in the state. This occurred some months ago when the governor paid an unscheduled visit to the school to see things for himself.

While the university community is highly impressed with the approach of the governor which is seeing to the renovation of those dilapidating structures, how would the governor feel if I bring to his knowledge the plight of ABSU Pharmacy undergraduates?

Two years anniversary of Dr. Alex Otti in power.

Mr. Peter Obi was full of flowery words for the governor while he addressed the congregation at Seventh Day Adventist Church Ehimiri Umuahia on 24th May 2025 during the church thanksgiving service of Dr. Alex Otti for his two (2) years anniversary in office.

The former governor of Anambra state and Labour Party Presidential candidate said something very striking, and it goes thus, “you don’t need two (2), four (4), eight (8), ten (10), twenty (20) years to make a difference in governance. A day is enough to make a striking difference, just as we can see in Abia at the moment. You do not need to tune to the radio to hear of the developments in Abia state today as the ordinary people on the street can confirm it to you”.

For an ex-governor and a frontline national opposition leading figure who performed excellently during his time as the governor of Anambra state, who is also known for good governance to have this opinion of our governor and his achievements so far, then it is a new dawn for ndi Abia.

What really would matter more to our ABSU Pharmacy undergraduates.

As we celebrate these two (2) years anniversary of Dr. Alex Otti in office and the landmark achievements he has recorded so far alongside his team members, which are very commendable.

We must bring to his notice that Pharmacy undergraduates in the Faculty of Pharmacy at Abia State University Uturu are in very bad psychological state as they seem hopeless, distraught, despondent and forgotten in the scheme of things.

These undergraduates who are largely children of ordinary citizens like us who are majorly civil servants, farmers and traders etc. who cannot afford to pay the fees for private universities, who secured admission to study Pharmacy in 2019 at ABSU are in distress which only the university management and government can solve.

They are supposed to graduate this year (2025) after spending six (6) years studying Pharmacy at ABSU but as we speak, they are scared that it may not be a possibility. Their plight made us create this content which we shared on all our social media platforms to get the attention of the Governor.

Duration of study for Doctor of Pharmacy in ABSU.

This course which was supposed to last for a maximum of six (6) years may stretch beyond this number of years if the accreditation crisis the faculty is facing at the moment is not addressed swiftly.

Do we really know that ABSU is one of the very few universities in Nigeria, with the approval to offer their graduates a Doctor of Pharmacy in Nigeria?

Some Nigerian universities as a result of lack of accreditation for some professional courses end up having undergraduates who are supposed to spend a maximum of five (5) or six(6) years in school once they pass their examinations spend as much as ten (10) to twelve (12) because of lack of accreditation.

This is a narrative we do not wish to become the reality of these undergraduates in the dispensation of the new Abia as we know that the governor and the university management at this time have the balls to prevent such.

Plea to the Dr. Alex Otti led government.

Dr. Alex Otti while we are thankful for the latest advertisement from the ivory tower seeking the application from qualified professionals to come forward, we plead that you do a bit more by engaging these undergraduates directly to hear what their grievances, fears, concerns are and assure them with timelines of how your government intend to address these issues.

It is our wish that you and your team sort this out once and for all. Abia State university Uturu and Enugu State University of Science and Technology are the only two state owned universities in Southeast Nigeria that offer Pharmacy as a course hence we cannot wait to be acclaimed the best state owned university where the course is studied in Nigeria.

ABSU Pharmacy undergraduates and the protection they need from Dr. Otti.

As Nigerians who live in a society where oppression of the weak, poor and vulnerable is routinely executed, we must acknowledge that it took the intervention of parents and relatives of some of the Pharmacy undergraduates which may overstay their time in school if this all sought after accreditation is not achieved, to bring this troubling development to our notice.

We know for a fact that some of the administrators in the university may want to nurse the thought of coming at these young ones harshly for daring to speak up for themselves in a society where the culture of silence and oppression reigns supreme.

It is my wish that Dr. Alex Otti re-emphasizes once more that his government is pro free speech as long as such speeches helps make our society a better one as opposed to what it has always been in the past, by giving off a body language that protects the undergraduates from being bullied by the university management.

We hope that these undergraduates would be sorted out and not victimized for standing up for themselves at a critical time of their lives as this. The dangers of overstaying in school as undergraduates are enormous.

The ABSU Faculty of Pharmacy of our dreams.

We are most hopeful that as the programmes for the celebrations for the two-year anniversary of the Governor attains full speed, the governor and the Vice chancellor should take a thorough look at the faculty with the hope to provide the needed infrastructure for excellent academic work, employ the best of hands to groom these young ones as academic staff and empower them well enough to compete with their mates all over the world by offering them all they need to thrive.

In the years ahead, we would want to look back and it would be said that it was during the tenure of Dr. Alex Otti that this faculty assumed one of its best positions in terms of excellence on all sides.

We understand that there are alot of things in the state that demand urgent attention from this government and as such has caused delay in sorting other issues out. The mere thought of the psychological state of these youths who may probably get into all sorts of crime, abuse of substance, teenage pregnancy, depression and extreme financial burden on their parents if they ever overstay in school as a result of no fault of theirs, should spur the government into action immediately.

Wishing your government the best of the remaining two (2) years.

Knowing fully well that the quality of the choice the citizens makes at the polls determines alot about their collective future. We can say with the feedback from the residents of the state, that they made one of the best of choices during the 2023 gubernatorial election cycle.

While we rejoice with the masses for the progress made so far by your government, we are on oath to always tell the people in power the truth as it pertains to constructive criticism of your policies. This is with the aim of making sure that you Mr. Governor offer the best of governance to ndi Abia.

Congratulations on your second-year anniversary, we wish your team well and hope to have you address these above listed challenges being faced by our youths in the Faculty of Pharmacy in ABSU within the shortest possible time.