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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has lauded Governor Alex Otti of Abia State for his courage in repealing the law that allowa former Governors and Deputy Governors of the State to enjoy pension. He expressed the hope that other Governors will follow his footstep.
Obasanjo who spoke on Friday when he paid the Governor a visit at his country home in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South LGA, noted that pensions paid to the former Governors and Deputies were outrageous while those of ordinary retired workers were owed in Abia from 2014, describing the act as daylight robbery.
“I watched the television and I saw repealing of Abia pensions and I asked you what exactly is this, and you said to me that the pensions scheme for former Governors here was too outrageous.
“It’s like trouble because it allowed them to have a house in Abuja and elsewhere, and it allowed them to cart away with whatever they can, yet the pensions of ordinary people from 2014 are unpaid.
“What sort of leadership! You came and said there will be an end to that rascality. I congratulate you, and I say to you, I hope that your colleagues will follow your footstep?”
Chief Obasanjo congratulated Governor Otti for his tenacity and for weathering the storm to become Abia Governor and reminded him that a lot of work needed to be done.
“I say congratulations. Congratulations for your tenacity, congratulations for your not giving up, congratulations for your weathering the storm and congratulations for what you did yesterday (Thursday), (signing the repealing of pension law for former Governors and Deputy Governors).
Obasanjo told Otti there are still a lot of work to be done, that he has started well, but should never be tired.
“Don’t be discouraged; you will be abused, you will be called names but if we have one third of our states doing what should be done, this country will be a different country.”
The former President urged Governor Otti to pay attention to infrastructural development of the State, explaining that with infrastructure and good leadership the State will attain greater heights.
According to him, Abia and the South East people are industrious and enterprising, adding that what the people of the zone require to achieve greatness is good leadership that will give them encouragement and support.
Otti, receiving the former President, assured him his administration was focused and single minded on infrastructural development, especially in Aba, as that is at the core of all that is required.
He disclosed that his government had in the last nine months completed and commissioned 10 roads in Aba, while 31 other roads are at different stages of completion.
Governor Otti thanked the former President for supporting his government’s decision to repeal the law that empowered former Governors and Deputy Governors to receive pensions, stressing that cost of governance is a major problem for every State and the Federal Government.
The former President was accompanied on the visit by Ms Adewunmi Osagie, MD Ocean City, Lagos; Ambassador Okey Emuchay, Otumba Oyewole Fasawe, and Barrister Kingsley Ononuju.
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