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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
Chidi Odinkalu, Nigeria’s fiery lawyer, law teacher and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), is emphatic that President Bola Tinubu is pushing to perpetuate himself in office, beginning with gaming the electoral process in 2027.
Odinkalu, Professor of Practice in International Human Rights Law at the Fletcher School, told his host Naija Unfiltered, a popular Nigerian podcast programme, that he was as sure as death that the President would not exit office in 2031, if he succeeded with his current gambit to remain in power beyond next year.
Hear him: “Yes. But as I said, let me repeat myself. There’ll be a third term. President Tinubu has not done all of this just for another four years. There will be a third term. And anybody who is doing, ‘it is not our portion,’ is not reading the evidence.”
To achieve this aim, the activist, who was also emphatic that the National Assembly, would play a role, added: “The current National Assembly is anything but national or an assembly. And if it’s an assembly, it’s not a parliamentary one. Many people have called it a rubber stamp, but I think that is actually abusive of rubber stamps. I think this National Assembly is a disgrace.
Citing how bizarre and completely compliant the national legislature had become to Tinubu, the ex-NHRC’s boss, stated: “If you can change your national anthem in less than 24 hours with no public hearing, no public consultation, no public involvement, it tells you you don’t have a country because a national anthem is fundamental to the construction of a national identity.”
Also referring to the current move by the President to introduce state police, Odinkalu, wondered how the Nigerian Senate would introduce the bill to that effect and proceed towards the first and second readings, as well as committee stage and passage in less than two hours, questioning how that was possible in normal clime.
Hear him: “Once we finish our elections, we’re going to amend our Constitution, introduce a single six-year presidential term. The current incumbent will be elected until 2031. In 2031, what will happen? The question will be, will he be entitled to run on the six-year term or will he not?
“You will then get the best Senior Advocates in Nigeria telling you the law is not retrospective. That is why the administration is supporting the litigation over President Jonathan’s tenure—not because the Constitution is not clear, but because they will say there is precedent. There will be a third term, and I’m prepared to bet on it.”
“If we continue to pay ransom, we are encouraging these criminals to kidnap more people. The cycle will only continue unless we stop rewarding criminality,” were the words of Dauda Lawal, Governor of Zamfara State, with which he blamed those in the habit of paying ransoms as the major factor fuelling the current wave of kidnapping incidents across the country.
Lawal, on Thursday at the ARISE News/THISDAY Town Hall Conference on State Police and National Security in Abuja, told his audience how he flatly refused to pay a ₦300 million ransom demanded by kidnappers who abducted his brothers in 2019.
Reiterating his opposition to negotiating with bandits and renewed his support for the establishment of state police, Lawal, while recounting the incident, said: “My own brothers were kidnapped in 2019, and the kidnappers demanded about ₦300 million. I told them I was not going to pay a dime. If they wanted to kill them, they could go ahead.”
Stating that his brothers were eventually released without any ransom being paid, he argued that paying ransom usually emboldened criminal groups by providing financial incentives for further kidnappings.
He added: “My position on ransom payments remains unchanged. I will not negotiate, and I will not pay ransom to any criminal, no matter what happens.”
Endorsing the move for the establishment of state police, to enable governors have greater operational authority over security within their states, he regretted that the current constitutional arrangement left governors with responsibility for security without corresponding powers to direct security agencies.
His words: “In as much as I am called the chief security officer of the state, I do not have the command-and-control authority to direct the operations of the security agencies. I’m prepared to support the funding of state police if the proposed policing structure is established. I’m confident that decentralised policing will improve intelligence gathering, response time and the overall fight against insecurity.”
Exactly seven years, two months and four days after he forced Walter Onnoghen, the 16th Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) out of office, Danladi Umar, former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), on Thursday, found himself in Kuje prison.
Justice Peter Kekemeke, of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Maitama, handed the ex-CCT boss the unwelcome package on Thursday, following his arraignment by the Federal Government on a four-count corruption charge.
Umar’s ordeal began after an investigations revealed that he abused his official position by conferring an undue advantage on himself while serving as head of the tribunal, having in 2021, reportedly using his wife’s bank account to collect the sum of N5.5 million from a contractor engaged to paint the headquarters of the CCT in Abuja.
He was also accuse of using the same account to collect another N6million on January 25, 2024, from a contractor who handled the digitisation of the CCT’s records and yet another N2.43 million a contractor paid as tuition fee of his daughter at Baze University, Abuja.
After pleading not guilty to offences, said to be punishable under section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, Christopher Mshelia, lawyer to the FG, prosecuting the matter, applied for his remand in a correctional facility, while urging the court to set a date for the commencement of trial.
His pleas to be freed on bail pending the determination of the case, was opposed by the prosecution, which drew the court’s attention to the fact that it had just been served with the bail application, saying it needed time to respond to it, forcing Kekemeke to adjourn the case till July 15 for hearing while the former CCT boss remained behind bars.
Umar, had as CCT Chairman, on January 23, 2019, issued a controversial ex parte order that led to the removal of a serving Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen.
Following the ex parte order, the late President Muhammadu Buhari, on January 25, swore in the next most senior jurist of the Supreme Court, Justice Tanko Muhammad, to take over the leadership of the judiciary as Acting CJN.
Even though Onnoghen later voluntarily resigned his position as CJN on April 4, Umar went ahead and convicted him on April 18, 2019, on the federal government’s allegation that he had failed to properly declare his assets as required by law.
He gave the federal government the go-ahead to confiscate all monies in five accounts belonging to the former CJN, and also removed him as Chairman of both the NJC and the Federal Judiciary Service Commission (FJSC).
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