By OKECHUKWU KESHI UKEGBU

My choice of the above title is not informed by the fact that it is the most appropriate. It is because I deem it necessary to aptly capture the essence of this discourse and to lay bare the foundation on which Abia State Orientation Agency (the subject matter), was founded.

Late last year, the director-general of the agency, Mr Godwin Adindu, gathered a handful of thinkers for a two-day “thinking feat” at the Address Hotels, Ogbor Hill, Aba.

The gathering was an intellectual feat as it produced the framework in which the activities of the agency were laid. The feat, themed “disruptions”, produced the catch phrase of the agency “Let's Get Involved,” the logo, among others.

Since then, Adindu and his team has been on the streets, but not as army of occupation, but changing the negative perception of Abians on government activities - what I consider the fundamental essence of the agency. Few days after the session, the agency hit the ground running by taking its Yuletide safety campaign to the motor parks in Aba.

This was followed by its “Keep environment safe campaign”, which took off from Aba, the commercial hub, to Umuahia. This was done in partnership with the state Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA). The campaign was, by every ramification, a success.

On the heels of the Safe Environment Campaign was The Indigenous Content Campaign which focused on Abia products, services and outstanding personalities. The campaign accorded crucial attention to products manufactured or produced in Abia, special services rendered by Abians and outstanding personalities who have distinguished themselves in their career, profession or trade. In Adindu’s words, “We will tell our own story and present the best of Abia. We will show the world that great things are happening here under Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.”

The new campaign provided and will continue to provide a platform where local entrepreneurs will be engaged to discuss their processes with the aim of building a profile of their businesses for media publicity. Also, part of the component will accommodate what is referred to as “The outstanding Personality Campaign.” It will also provide a platform that will project Abia students who are breaking records in their different disciplines, and other professionals and businessmen who are distinguishing themselves in their careers and position them as great ambassadors of the state.

To ensure efficiency, the agency is adopting integrated marketing communications and grassroots engagement mechanism to repackage our cultural identities and festivals and project them to national limelight, so that they could be adopted as part of national cultural heritage and world resource events.

For the records, integrated marketing communications is a strategic, collaborative, and promotional business function through which a targeted audience senses consistent, persuasive, and reinforcing brand messaging.

This piece will be incomplete without mentioning the “Stand Up Launch” at Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia, that the wife of the governor, Deaconess Nkechi Ikpeazu (PhD) and the Deputy Governor Ude Oko Chukwu (PhD), were turned into emergency chefs.

Now, as a matter of urgency, and to meet the realities on ground, Adindu, in his usual manner, has changed gear.

The vogue is the Public Outreach on Safety, which houses COVID-19 Community to Community Enlightenment/Awareness campaign. The campaign is to enlighten Abians on the COVID-19 safety protocols, especially hand-washing.

God willing, and other things being equal, the train will hit Osisioma Junction tomorrow morning(?)

Adindu is a man of ideas, and you cannot remove this from him. My relationship with him predates his present engagements and dates back to his days with Insider Magazine where he worked with one of my mentors, Osa Director. Osa Director would always talk of Adindu thus: “Okey, that your brother, Adindu, is an encyclopedia of ideas.”

The people's D-G, ride on in your new assignment and age.

Lastly, as an agenda-setting approach, the campaign should target the rural centres than the urban centres because the former are more populated.

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