From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, and other board members have praised Abia State Governor Alex Otti for his impressive performance.
Speaking to reporters at Port Harcourt Road, Aba, after touring projects executed by Otti’s administration, Orji expressed amazement at the improved access roads in Aba’s markets and streets, the state’s commercial hub. The tour followed NEITI’s strategic retreat in Umuahia.
“We are not politicians, we are technocrats, and the connection between the work we do and what we have seen is clear,” Orji said. He explained that NEITI encourages governments to use oil, gas, and mining revenues for development and poverty reduction. “Because Abia is an oil-producing state… there is a strong linkage between what Abia is getting currently from the national treasury and the efforts to provide solid social infrastructure,” he added.
Orji highlighted Port Harcourt Road, noting, “The last time I was here, I really wept… the last time there was a connection between government and this city… was Sam Mbakwe era.” He praised Otti’s achievements in two years, saying, “All I can say is that I am speechless and profoundly delighted, proud of what I have seen.”
Ambassador Sunday Adoli, NEITI’s Alternate Chairman and North Central representative, echoed Orji’s sentiments. “The Governor is doing quite well. The resources he is getting are being translated into the practical development of the state,” Adoli said, also commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership.
NEITI board members, including Dele Ayanleke (Miners Association of Nigeria), Dr Erisa Danladi (Civil Society), and Dr Loveth Ononuga (FIRS representative), also lauded Otti’s people-centred governance. They urged him to sustain his efforts, noting his work aligns with NEITI’s advocacy for transparent resource use.