Living the Joy of the Resurrection

Being the Text of the 2025 Easter Message to Ndi Abia by Governor Alex C. Otti, OFR, on Sunday, April 20, 2025

Umu nne m Ndi Abia,

1. The joy of the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is upon us once more and I am honoured to join family and friends in wishing the entire Christian community in Abia and across the world a happy Easter celebration. As Christians, today’s celebration invites us to live like Christ by embracing the eternal virtues of love, sacrifice and forgiveness.
2. The Easter season is an evergreen reminder that God does not abandon His own — that light cannot be buried. For us in Abia, a State dedicated entirely to the supreme wisdom of the Almighty God, our joy is infinite because we are witnesses to the truth of the faithfulness of the One who rules in the affairs of men. Today, we rejoice like the early believers did when the news of the resurrection first got to them but more fundamentally, we celebrate in the knowledge that we had not believed in vain — that our mockers did not have the last word.
3. Let me specially welcome our brothers and sisters, friends and everyone else visiting our State to share in the rich blessings of the Easter season. We thank the Almighty God for bringing us back safely from different parts of the world to celebrate together as members of the New Abia family. May I also use this auspicious moment to thank you for your immense contributions to the social and economic development of our great State. Abia is our home and I am glad to note that there is a new consciousness amongst our people to always think home — to appreciate that no matter how far away from home we travel, our hearts will never be far from Abia and the beautiful promises that it holds.
4. Words are also not enough to fully capture the depth of our gratitude to the hardworking men and women pursuing their dreams in different urban and rural communities across the State. Our story would not be the same without your enterprise, creativity and resilience. Individually and collectively, you embody the spirit of the New Abia and our debt to you is infinite. Thank you for supporting the development initiatives of the government, creating jobs, giving hope to families and putting Abia on the map through your craft and talents. Our greatness as a State comes from the brilliance and dedication that inspire your daily endeavours and the determination to rise each morning to chase the promises that come with the rising of the sun.
5. On this most remarkable day in the annals of Christian history, I would like to very respectfully salute the leaders of the Christian community in the State for their efforts, not just at raising true and genuine disciples of Christ, but also for their commitment to the development of the larger society through widespread investments in education, healthcare delivery and support for the underprivileged and deprived in our society.
6. As one who has actively followed the dynamic evolution and exploits of many Christian leaders and congregations in responding to the needs of God’s children in the State irrespective of the religious or doctrinal differences, I am proud to say that indeed, we are a community of faith — attending diligently to the needs of the hungry, the thirsty, the unclothed and strangers in our midst. We acknowledge your role as bearers of light and offer to provide every support we can to advance our shared vision of building a world where no child of God is allowed to suffer without the comforting words and generosity of neighbours.
7. At Easter, we are all encouraged to rededicate ourselves to the work of Christian charity — providing sacrificial support to those in need, direction to the lost and comfort to all who suffer the shipwrecks of life. As Christ’s tortuous journey to Golgotha, His death on the Cross and resurrection from death did prove, the agony of suffering is made less severe by the kindness of ordinary men and women rising above the ignorant indifference of the crowd. The inspiring examples of the brave heroes and heroines who helped Christ as he bore His Cross invites us to constantly reflect on our journey through life and how often we are willing to lend a hand to those in need.
8. As a government that is profoundly committed to the welfare of ordinary Abia men and women, we shall continue to expand the social safety nets to support our brethren who for reasons of physical disability, infirmity or other unfortunate circumstances of life, are unable to effectively fend for themselves. Orphans and widows, the chronically ill and the aged without proper family and social support systems are already benefitting from the N3.4 billion the State budgeted for poverty alleviation and social protection in the 2025 Appropriation Bill. Beyond cash transfer programmes, we are also focusing on human capital development and similar initiatives that enhance the earning capacity of individuals, particularly women and persons from economically-disadvantaged backgrounds.
9. While we shall remain focused on our broad infrastructural development programme, we are also making a commitment to care for and support the vulnerable in our midst because we are all equally and magnificently created by the same God. My promise today and always is that whatever burden you bear as a member of the larger Abia community, you will never run short of support and encouragement.
10. Beyond what we are currently doing to support the economically and socially vulnerable, we are working even harder to expand the streams of opportunities for everyone else. May I remind us that our modest efforts at the restoration of physical infrastructure, investments in social services, urban sanitation, improved security of lives and property and other public sector initiatives by the government are all set up to transform the State into a magnet of opportunities for everyone who can add value to our social and economic realities as a community.
11. The first batch of about 5, 000 teachers recruited through transparent, merit-based processes for our public schools will get their appointment letters before the end of the month and would resume at the start of the new school term. We have also concluded plans to recruit 4,000 more teachers and technologists to match the trend of rising enrolment in our schools following the introduction of free and compulsory basic education in the State. Let me also announce that at the end of the on-going staff audit in the health sector, we shall determine areas of critical need and recruit qualified personnel to support our healthcare delivery initiatives.
12. The Easter season coincides with the coming of the rains and the beginning of the new farming season. We had promised to prioritise agriculture this year by putting our vast stretch of arable land to good use. Agriculture for us is not just about food production for household consumption; we are looking at creating thousands of new agro-entrepreneurs to drive our holistic efforts at agro-revolution. As I said earlier in the month at Uzuakoli during the commissioning of the Joe Irukwu Way, we are not just prepared to support farmers with high-yield seedlings and other inputs, we have also put modalities in place to ensure that our farmlands and farmers are effectively protected from the destructive activities of individuals and groups who sabotage the economic gains that accrue to crop farmers. As we have demonstrated in the last 23 months, we are ever ready to take very difficult decisions, especially as it concerns the security and welfare of our people.
13. I am glad to note that thousands of Abians have defied the difficult macroeconomic realities of the time to return home for the Easter celebration. Let me welcome you once again and remind you that Abia is now the new land of great opportunities. This is the best time to invest in the State. By investing in Abia, you will not only be expanding employment channels for our young people, you will also be making demonstrable impact in the development of your communities, bringing your wealth to where its impact would be felt for generations.
14. As we celebrate the anniversary of Christ’s resurrection, let us remember that greatness isn’t defined exclusively by what we do for ourselves, but essentially by what we do to bring the light of God’s love to our neighbours and those who in years to come, would be inspired by the impact of the sacrifices we made in love.
15. May I draw this message to a close by once again wishing every family in the State a wonderful Easter celebration. God bless you all.

Dr Alex C. Otti, OFR.

April 20, 2025