News
Alex Otti: A disaster foretold?
Attention: Mr, Alex Otti, the Vendetta Governor of Abia State
By Eze Chikamnayo
Dear Otti,
As you know, I did not vote for you and will NEVER be a part of your hypocritical Government because of my conviction that you lack the candor, capacity, commitment, capability and broad mindedness required to successfully steer the ship of Abia in this critical point of our metamorphosis as a nascent state.
That was why I described you as an “Otellectual” in one of my earlier interventions wherein I argued vigorously that you are daft, crude, uncouth, uncivilised and that given the abysmal results of your previous outings, you were not going to add any more value to the peace and prosperity of our Dear citizens apart from your usual recourse to self-aggrandisement and vain glory.
Then, typical of your impulsive character, you got into a fit of unwarranted rage because of your lack of Democratic temperament and respect for dissenting views and started threatening me with all sorts. Of recent, you are also said to be seeking to misuse our Courts as instruments for the intimidation of the very people you seek to govern with the active connivance of Umeh Kalu, SAN, who many widely believe is shockingly denigrating the integrity and responsibilities associated with his high legal pedestal.
From all indications, your alleged strategy is to SHAME, BLAME AND SILENCE your Predecessors and all Abia Politicians and Stakeholders while perfecting your vicious plans to transmute into a dictator, emperor, “ezeonyeagwalam” and quasi sole administrator surrounded by imported stooges and zombie surrogates – ninety five percent of whom flew in from outside Abia.
You might have noticed that since the political accident that pushed you to power, I deliberately and quietly moved to the sidelines to give you ample opportunity to reveal your true nature to doubting Thomases.
Sadly, Mr Otti, you are unravelling too quickly!
Recent developments between 29th of May and now shows that, if Abians, like myself, continue to keep quiet, you, will possibly destroy whatever modest gains our dear state has made as a united entity.
Under your watch, Mr Alex Otti, in less than 60 days, Abia State has received over 20 Billion Naira from the Federation Account. Added to the over 2 billion realised from Internally Generated Revenue and the 24 Billion Naira Stamp Duty paid via Union Bank, an unprecedented total of over 45 Billion Naira has accrued to your government. YET, UPTILL NOW, YOUR GOVERNMENT IS BEREFT OF DIRECTION AND DEFINITION. All we hear daily is the SHAME and BLAME game – a deliberate, diversionary tactics ostensibly orchestrated and promoted to hoodwink, deceive and suffer our people.
During the Gubernatorial Elections, you took advantage of the perennial plight of sick pensioners for your crude campaign of calumny. Today, with Billions at your beck and call, you’ve continued to play “hanky-panky”, denying these our senior citizens their entitlements. Could it be that you have shortchanged these helpless senior citizens? Why couldn’t you, the self-styled messiah, at least release the little money required to pay Pensioners one full month arrears despite the humongous inflow instead of the paltry 1/4 of their monthly money that you grudgingly approved? The sight of the same Pensioners who wore white apparels to your Inauguration adorning black berets and robes to your Finance Ministry in protest of your duplicity is both interesting and instructive.
Hypocrisy and double speak is gradually becoming a cardinal principle of your administration. Out of the almost Sixty Days into your tenure, you have spent over 30 days outside Abia, oscillating like the pendulum between Lagos and Abuja while the state is left desolate.
Unfortunately, you have betrayed cluelessness despite your “Beijing race” of more than eight years.
Mr Alex Otti, Sir, you sacrilegiously imported an Accountant General and handed over the sacred Treasury of Abia State to a total stranger. When Abians shouted, you quickly employed her on level 16 to boss some civil servants who were already graduates and in the service even while she was still a student thus destroying the morale of dedicated, hardworking staff. Meanwhile, due process was not followed.
The callous, arbitrary and wicked suspension and or sacking of Statutory Boards, Permanent Secretaries , Heads of Parastatals and other innocent citizens on the frivolous allegation of allegiance to previous administrations is unconscionable, brutish and absolutely barbaric.
How do you justify the sudden retrenchment of over 7,000 Abia workers for no reason? While other states are employing and coming up with strategies of lighting the burden of current economic realities, you, Alex Otti, is busy sacking Abians in these perilous times?
You deceptively campaigned that Abians should WEEP NO MORE, but today, sorrow, tears and blood are the unfortunate grim companion of the thousands of families whose livelihoods have been destroyed by your wicked decision to suspend, sack and or sacrifice their bread winners on the filthy alter of political expediency.
Recently, you got all Local Government Treasurers and Heads of Service to sign an indemnity clause with banks to sweep all funds meant for respective LGAs back to designated State Accounts of your choice!
Your parochial idea is to harass everyone into silence while alleged massive fleecing and round-tripping is going on.
Voters in a democracy are not supposed to be profiled and punished for freely exercising their franchise. That you, Mr Alex Otti is selectively persecuting Abians simply because these innocent citizens had one thing or the other to do with previous administrations is unprecedented, unproductive, unpalatable and unpardonable.
You appointed a Director to become the Head of the entire respectable Civil Service comprising of Permanent Secretaries. This abomination is a novelty in absurdity only found in your so called “NEW ABIA.”
Mr Otti, you will recall how you exploited the age-long dichotomy between mainstream civil servants and staff of Parastatals during the campaigns. You promised to abolish same on assumption of office and pay ALL WORKERS on the same day. Who would believe that after all the noise, your lackeys now preach to Parastatals to generate their own salaries from non-existing subventions.
Today in Abia you have fought with the leaders in the whole 8 Markets in Abia, civil servants, NURTW, politicians from all the parties, selected church leaders etc. You have even extended your fight to traditional rulers by subjecting them to humiliating “verification”.
Haba, Mr Otti, what exactly do you think you are doing?
Abia State is tensed up like never before. By branding majority of Abians as thieves, treating them with disdain and contempt while withholding Local Government workers salaries for two months in the pretense of looking for ubiquitous ghost workers in this era of economic downturn, you are being sadistic and mean to say the least.
Let it not be that you are dumping all these monies in fixed deposit accounts for pecuniary reasons! Abia is too big to be emasculated and pocketed by one diminutive demon!
Abians want to see a Government that is sensitive and empathetic not a self-righteous bigot dishing out unrealistic directives that undermine the welfare of the common man.
Mr Otti, also recall that with over two months left in the Constitutional mandate of your Predecessor, you brazenly gate crashed into Port Harcourt Road with purported Contractors from Julius Berger. Today, three months after that provocative show of shame, there is no sign of Julius Berger in Ohanku, Obohia and Port Harcourt Road as you had boasted.
What you did was to hurriedly rush to Aba to dictate the award of contracts for few meters of axillary roads in a face saving gimmick. The so called contracts awarded did not pass through any competitive bid or advert neither was it done with the requisite approved design from the relevant Ministry. In fact, it is widely believed that you used them to settle your ongoing legal obligations.
Where on earth is the transparency you promised Mr. Alex Otti?
Where exactly is the place of rule of law under your watch? You are behaving like an emperor running an opaque government characterised by intimidation and blackmail.
The unbelievable crisis you instigated in the Abia State House of Assembly smacks of utter disrespect for the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which you swore to uphold especially as it concerns Separation of Powers.
Accompanied by gun-welding security operatives, you invaded the hallowed chamber of the ABHA in a gestapo style operation and personally supervised an abracadabra where 10 magically becomes greater than 11. The foisting of a jellyfish Speaker and all such anomalies has been allegedly drawn out as part of your subjugation script.
Instead of building consensus, you are breeding confusion. Instead of fostering unity, you are fanning the embers of war. Your divisive inclinations and the discriminatory nature of your appointments and policies are clear signals that you are not out to lovingly govern our people but to witch-hunt perceived imaginary enemies.
For clarity, kindly note that the last administration provided the financial platform for your government to thrive. The last administration left the following world bank assisted programmes:
- $50m RAMP facility now ready and available @ CBN for the immediate transformation of our rural roads.
2. $263m ADFB Loan ($115m ready for use even from today…same facility you callously fought against in your desperation for office!
These funds are meant to provide infrastructure and help open Abia to the world. You should bring them out immediately and honestly apply them for the common good instead of chasing shadows.
Before I round off, Mr Otti, how do you explain to discerning citizens that after criticising your predecessors, you have abandoned the three official government accommodations in Aba Lodge, Old Government House and New Government House Complex and diverted most official business to your Nvosi Country Home? Even the new official vehicles bought for Exco Members are supplied to and parked in your private residence! Where then do you derive the daring audacity and morality to pontificate for Abians when you hardly practice what you preach? Where then is the transparency you mouthed?
I repeat, Abia is now more insecure than it has ever been since 1999.
Last weekend, you travelled to Borno in a private jet to attend a wedding ceremony while the whole of Umunneochi LGA was in turmoil. Kidnapping and abduction which was reducing considerably have spiked again since you took office on May 29th. The money you are using to junket around with private jets from Maiduguri to Sokoto allegedly in search of reprieve for your tribunal case is enough to make Umunneochi LGA and Abians to breathe again especially in the areas of peace and security.
Mr Otti, What of the many bullet proof vehicles you bought for yourself and the N500 million Naira monthly security votes you are said to be taking? Are these exactly your own idea of cutting the cost of governance?
Yet you refused to pay due allowances to our House of Assembly Members while planning to buy them Innoson vehicles! Are you really not a hypocrite?
Yes, you promised to reduce the cost of governance but now you are doing exactly the opposite. Even in midst of current realities, your convoy is over 13 vehicles. This is not the Peter Obi’s model of governance which you promised.
Mr Alex Otti, Abians are angry, disappointed, despondent, depressed and dying because of your failure to live up to your own promises.
They said that you were nicknamed “Senior Wicked” during your days at Ngwa High School. Even outside Abia, some call you MMAHADUM because of your stiff – wickedness.
Could this draconian appellation be a true reflection of your personae?
Abians are watching and sooner than later we will all come together to help you understand that Abia belongs to all Abians regardless of your personal feelings about any individual or group.
A word is enough for the wise.
Chikamnayo, lawyer and third-term commissioner, writes from Umuahia
I’m willing to go to the firing squad if it will stop the mess in Nigeria. I assure you, I’m willing to do that,” were the words with which Pat Utomi, Nigeria’s foremost political economist stretched the extent of his desire to help Nigeria recover itself from the current parlous situation it has found itself in recent years.
A guest of Politics Today, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, Utomi, told his host, on Wednesday that he was doing everything, including bringing together a coalition of Nigerians in the Diasporas to help in the task of redeeming the country today.
Arguing that Nigeria still had one of the highest human and natural resources in the world, he said Nigeria’s problem remained that of poor leadership, adding for instance that instead of harnessing potentials of the diversity of the country, those on the driving seat, were more interested in dividing the country.
Hear him: “We have converted what we have as our greatest strength into our weakness, which is our diversity. You take that diversity and look at our selling culture from different parts of Nigeria, what that means. Nigeria has a huge strength in its diversity, but weak, horrible politicians have chosen to exploit it in a manner where emotions have trumped reasons and the gap between we and them is widening everyday.
“If you look at the American melting pot, why don’t they say, you’re a Korean, you’re a Vietnamese, you’re an Italian-American, you’re Irish-American? Because those who led America, its founding fathers, had such great vision, and wrote one of the greatest constitutions in human history and built institutions that allowed that melting pot culture to enable America become almost the greatest people on the planet. I think leadership can help to turn this around.
Dwelling on how poor leadership had aided in stunting Nigeria’s development, Utomi, who claimed to have been integrated into national politics at the age of 27, because of how passionate and vocal he became over national issues even at that young age, blamed Nigerian youths for not expressing the same zeal in taking their country back.
Instead, he accused them of complicity, by becoming complacent while the older generation remained at the driving seat of national affairs and controlling their emotions at the same time, adding that the value system must change in which the future must matter to people than the immediate gains.
Hear him: “Ultimately, values shape human progress. When we have values and people of character and commitment to service are in positions of public authority, our country will turn around. We have the ingredients, the human capital that it takes to show the way.”
“The biggest challenge we have is that culture is in collapse in Nigeria, values shape human progress. How do we get a values revolution? Institutions are critical for human progress if we can commit to building stronger institutions that push back on people who do not do right and the rule of law is fully in place.
“Look at our judiciary, it is a laughing stock – no country can make real progress without a judiciary that you can rely on. Look at our other institutions whether it is INEC or others, they are weak.
“How do we ensure that we have strong institutions and that we have values that really ensure that character matters and that people of character can show a light? We can do it, I am absolutely confident because I have seen it happen in human history.”
“Over the past year, the ICPC has made significant progress in discharging its mandate; for example, we recovered over ₦13 billion in diverted public funds in September 2024 alone. This is just one of the many ways we have worked tirelessly to fulfil our mandate.”
These were the words with which Musa Aliyu, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), summed up the immensity of the work the anti-graft agency has been doing in the country towards dealing with official graft in the Nigerian system.
Though he was not definite on those involved in the various scams from which the moneys were recovered from Aliyu, who made the disclosure during the launch of the commission’s 2024-2028 strategic action plan in Abuja on Wednesday, emphasised that the feat resulted from the relentlessness of the agency towards fulfilling its mandate.
It was also a day the ICPC boss disclosed the body’s new focus on digitalising its operations, which he said will position it as a leader in leveraging technology to combat corruption, adding: “We are also embarking on ICT reforms that will digitalise our operations and enable more efficient investigations, case management, and internal processes.
“This transformation will position the Commission as a leader in leveraging technology to combat corruption, keeping us one step ahead of criminal activities in the digital age. The commission is developing a specialised curriculum aimed at enhancing the enforcement capacity of its personnel.
“This initiative equips our officers with the skills and expertise needed to address the complexities of corruption cases with the highest standards of professionalism and efficiency.
“Additionally, we are decentralising the anti-corruption effort by empowering state governments through the mobilisation of State Attorneys General. This approach ensures that state governments are equipped with the tools, knowledge, and resources necessary to effectively combat corruption at the local level.
“Because we believe prevention is better than cure, we have intensified efforts to identify institutional and administrative vulnerabilities through System Studies and Corruption Risk Assessments. We have also continued to engage with the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs) in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), reinforcing our grassroots monitoring mechanisms.”
Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command are combing around to ascertain whether Abayomi Oshoke, a 45-year-old, a resident of Mango Oke-Ata, actually took his own life because he could no longer continue with the present hardship in Nigeria or there are other factors to it.
This was after confirming the incident, which reportedly took place around 6:00am on September in the suburb of Abeokuta, the state capital, through Omolola Odutola, the command’s spokesman, on Tuesday.
Odutola, who confirmed that the deceased consumed an insecticide to end it all due to the hardship he was allegedly facing, explained that his sister, identified as Funmilayo, reported the incident to the Lafenwa Police Division after discovering her brother’s lifeless body in his room, with a bottle of insecticide found beside him.
She said: “A friend of the deceased visited his home and asked to see him. Upon entering the room, he discovered the victim’s body on the floor and raised the alarm after finding that the victim had ingested a mixture of insecticide and herbal concoction.
“He left a note written in Yoruba language, explaining the reasons behind his decision. In the note, he expressed frustration with his life and stated that he felt he had no choice but to end it. A discreet investigation is currently underway.”
I’m ready to face the bullet – Utomi *Weak, horrible politicians, killing Nigeria
Corruption cancer: How we recovered N13billion in September alone – ICPC
TRAGEDY: Another man takes his life over hardship in Nigeria *Police dig in
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Soyinka, Obi, Tinubu: When repayment of mafia debt is inescapable
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