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…Urges Tinubu, security agencies to intervene urgently
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Former Abia State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Eze Chikamnayo has cautioned the incumbent state governor, Alex Otti, against acts and utterances capable of setting the state on fire.
He handed the warning while reacting to Governor Otti’s appointment of consummate Industrialist, Ide John Udeagbala, as the Mayor of Aba city.
He frowned at Governor Otti announcing Udeagbala who hails from Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State is an economic nationalist, and graduate of Harvard University.
Making the announcement at a stakeholder meeting at the weekend, Governor Otti, in the viral video, said that the era of indigenes and non-indigenes is gone in Abia State.
However, reacting to the development in a statement released to newsmen on Monday in Abuja, Chikamnayo urged President Bola Tinubu and all the security agencies to quickly call Governor Otti to order to avoid turning a peaceful state into a crisis zone.
The former commissioner argued that for the avoidance of doubt, Aba as we know it today, belongs to two related communities known as Aba na Ohazu. It is not a no man’s land as being painted by Governor Otti and can never be.
The statement titled “Stop Alex Otti before he sets Abia on fire”, read; “It is therefore preposterous and mischievous for anyone, no matter his position to arrogate to himself the non-existent powers to mangle this irrefutable fact of history because of temporary political advantage.
“Non-indigenes from other parts of Abia state and or Igbo land like old Bende, Anambra, Enugu, Imo or Ebonyi states, regardless of their wealth or status should never allow themselves to be deceived by Otti to assume that they can mutate into the owners of Aba.
“By recklessly declaring that Aba is a no man’s land, Otti is inadvertently setting Abia on fire and instigating avoidable unrest in that peaceful city. For reasons best known to him, he is ostensibly trying to stoke this fire of indigene-non-indigene dichotomy to further insult the Ngwa nation and polarise the polity.
“Maybe because of his inert desire to assuage his own internal contradictions that have made him a bipolar element with identity crisis hovering between Nvosi and Arochukwu, Otti is now drawing Abia state into needless ‘Katakata’ that will lead to loss of lives and property if not nipped in the bud.
“Since assumption of office, Otti’s penchant for playing to the gallery is legendary. If he truly wants to patronise his fellow big men like Bourdex, Udeagbara and Co, he must not reduce them to canon fodders thereby setting them up against the people,” he warned in the statement.
Condemning further statement credited to the Governor, the former Commissioner noted that Udeagbala has built a name for himself in Aba and has lived peacefully with the people, hence should not allow himself to be messed up.
“Aba people, Abians everywhere and all peace loving people everywhere should shun devilish instigation and embrace peace. They should not succumb to the whims and caprices of a confused and rudderless sinking despot clowning in the name of governance.
“Can Otti go to Umuahia and tell Ibeku and Ohuhu people that Umuahia North is a no man’s land? Can he go to Owerri, Onitsha, Port Harcourt or Warri and make such an inflammatory statement?
“I know that the revered members of Aba Sports Club will not allow Otti to gleefully destroy the harmony and conviviality in Aba with his reckless political gymnastics.
“Anything that will destabilize the peace in Aba will destabilize trade and investment in the entire South East and Nigeria.
“I, therefore wish to alert President Tinubu and all the security agencies of this seed of discod sown in Abia so that they can act quickly to prevent the consequences of Otti ‘s thoughtless policy of divide and rule. A stitch in time saves nine,” he warned in the statement.
