…Laud him on infrastructural development strides
From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
A political group, Abia For Good Governance, has said the good governance of Governor Alex Otti has changed the narrative of governance in Abia State, giving Abians a sense of belonging.
Addressing newsmen in Aba, the Director General of the group, Maduka Chile, said before 2023, nobody felt proud to be called an Abia indigene because of the state’s backwardness in infrastructural development.
Chile said as a way of celebrating the new Abia, the group will on Friday, March 21, honour all those who were part of the political struggle with Dr Alex Otti from 2015 to 2023 when he emerged as Governor.
Chile stressed that those to be honoured saw the vision of the new Abia everybody is enjoying today.
“The honour will go a long way to tell Nigerians that loyalty pays, as political actors are expected to be patient and determined in what they believe in.
“One thing everyone should learn from what is happening in Abia today is to ensure that they elect only leaders who are answerable to only the people and not some political godfathers who will derail good governance.
“We’re proud today that anywhere we go, we can proudly say we’re Abians and we have a new Abia of our dream, which our forefathers wanted.
“One thing I have learnt from Otti is that anybody who wants to aspire for a leadership position must be independent minded to avoid unnecessary external control.”
Chile said Otti is doing well in Abia today because he is only answerable to the people that elected him and not to any godfather.
“Nobody can remote control him or dictate his projects and activities. You can see how our infrastructure has improved and security strengthened. That’s the government of the people,” Chile said.
The group called on the government to continue the tempo on infrastructural development and many improvements that have brought a paradigm shift in Abia and equally urged members of the public not to stop in showing support for the government.
In the same manner, another political pressure group in Abia State, Soldier Ants Grassroots Movement (SAGM) has lauded Governor Alex Otti for his developmental strides in the state since he assumed office 20 months ago.
The coordinator of SAGM, Chief Ikechukwu Ijoma, who gave the commendation during a meeting of the group, said Otti has done very well in office that he requires the support of every Abian.
“We are urging every Abian to support the present administration which has transformed the state just after 20 months in office, beyond people’s imagination.
“If we must say the truth, the state has not had it so good for a very long time. Look at the road infrastructure and other credible developments Governor Otti is bringing to the state and we cannot but come out en mass to show him we are happy for what he is doing.”
Chief Ijoma said the group would stage a solidarity march on Port Harcourt Road in Aba when Julius Berger has finished work on it.
“What the Otti administration is doing in Aba and other parts of the state is unprecedented. Take for instance what he is doing on Port Harcourt road that was left impassable over the years.
“We are waiting for Julius Berger to finish work on that road so that we can use that as the starting point of our solidarity march, so that we can use it to show the world what Otti has done on the road in concrete terms.”
He said it was heartening that Otti was living up to electioneering promises, stressing that should this continue, Abia will take its rightful place among the comity of states.
“There is nothing Governor Otti promised he will do during the electioneering he has not done or started doing, from roads infrastructure to the timely payment of workers’ salaries and pension to pensioners and he deserves our support.”
Ijoma commended the Governor for finding a member of the group, Emmanuel Nwaeze Oti, to be the state chairman of Labour Party.
He equally lauded members of the group for their support for Otti since 2015 and urged them to remain steadfast in their support for the governor’s second term, assuring them of good things to come.