News
Alex Otti: From feeding bottle to dining table
On Sunday July 2, 2023 during the Thanksgiving Mass of the Deputy Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Austin Okezie Meregini at St Ann’s Catholic Church, the Governor of Abia State, Mr Alex Otti had declared thus: “…for the past 24 years, some people had put their mouths on the feeding bottle and since we came we removed their mouths.”
Otti’s disingenuous reference to ‘feeding bottle’ is his usual allusion to the alleged looting of resources of Abia State by past administrations, an allegation that exists only in the figment of his own imagination.
Such baseless accusations formed the kernel of his campaigns from 2015 when he first contested the state’s governorship election to the 2023 polls. He whipped up wicked sentiments against the PDP, accusing them of varying degrees of monumental corruption that have existed only in his mind till this day.
Unfortunately, some gullible ones bought his story and joined a war of attrition to remove non-existent feeding bottles from the mouths of acclaimed political opponents while Otti promised at the Thanksgiving Mass that “The feeding bottle is for all of us.”
Today, it has dawned on his followers that the “feeding bottle” chants were nothing but a mischievous invention by Alex Otti to expand his financial warchest and recoup all he had been spending inordinately pursuing that singular ambition of ruling Abia State. His supporters are dumbfounded to discover that indeed there were no feeding bottles so Otti could not have removed any from anybody’s mouth, but that he has rather expanded his concept of “feeding bottle” to “dining table.”
In just three months, Alex Otti has set a wide dining table with exotic dishes and expensive wines right before himself in the presence of his supporters who can only look on in helpless contrition as Otti alone devours all the food and gulps the drinks with reckless abandon.
For a man who claimed he would reduce the cost of governance and make more resources available for the people and for projects, one wonders why he spent a whopping N5.32bn on himself alone through his office in just three months, July – September 2023 according to the Abia State 3rd Quarter 2023 Budget Performance Report released by the state government when he actually operates from his private home in Isiala Ngwa South LGA of the state, while the previous administration he accused of mismanaging the state’s resources spent only N2.06bn for the corresponding period in 2022.
It is even more mind-boggling that at a time of relative peace in the State, Alex Otti who had claimed during campaigns that security votes were a fraudulent means by which governors loot state treasuries and that he would not be collecting security votes as governor, collected a humongous N2.8bn in the three months (July – September 2023) while the previous governor collected only N240m for the same period in 2022. The grave implication of this is that the “dining table government” of Otti collected almost ten times what the “feeding bottle government” of the last administration collected. Such a financial calamity!
When a governor is as selfish as Otti, the people not only get shortchanged, but they also suffer.
By so mindlessly appropriating Abia resources to himself as governor, Otti leaves the people with little or nothing. That is why at a time he is collecting billions of naira for his office, he spends close to nothing on the people’s welfare. Or how else can one explain the fact that Alex Otti spent only N1.12bn in the three months on health for the whole state while he spent a paltry sum of N737m on education?
From the foregoing, it is obvious that Alex Otti came to power not to remove any imaginary feeding bottle from anybody’s mouth but to create, set and expand his own personal dining table right before Abians so that as his cup runneth over, the poor masses can only gape in disbelief at his monumental aggrandizement while they return home emptier than when they first set out.
Nwabueze was Special Adviser to former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu
Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, seems to find merit in the damning verdict of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), accusing security agencies in Nigeria of complicity in the deluge of terrorist attacks in the country.
Jare Ajayi, National Secretary of the group, in agreeing with the position, posited on Wednesday: “This is because of the strong belief that the nature of terrorism bedeviling Nigeria would not be festering for this long without complicity from some powerful quarters.”
Though he acknowledged the determination of some patriotic operatives and government to stem the tide, he posited how difficult it was to believe that the activities of the terrorists would continue to thrive without active connivance.
Hear him: “With the vows by the President and top security officers, one has the feeling that the government is determined to end terrorism in Nigeria. When President Bola Tinubu appointed General Christopher Musa, (retd), as Minister of Defence, we had a lot of hope that within months, a total stop would be put to terrorism and banditry in the country.
“Unfortunately, there seems to be a spike, rather than reduction. The reason for this could be rooted in sabotage and complicity from within and from without. This tends to buttress the alarm raised by the US Commission.”
Stressing how the organisation been consistently calling the attention of authorities to areas that needed be looked into he maintained that these included politicians, who could be complicit in promoting the urgly situation.
Citing the recent comments by Godswill Akpabio, Senate President, who pointed in the same direction, Ajayi stated that no matter how unpalatable the position of the US body could be: “It is very important not to dismiss it but to use it a beacon with which to comb all areas.”
“Many people doubted us. Some dismissed us. Others predicted confusion, division, and even outright collapse. But you stood firm. You kept faith with the ADC. And today, because of your commitment, our party stands taller, stronger, and more united.”
With these words, David Mark, National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday’s night showered praises on members for conducting what he considered a flawless presidential primary election to choose its candidate for the 2027 election.
Mark, Senate President from 2007 to 2015, his audience at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, that by the outcome, the party had demonstrated that democracy and political competition could still thrive in Nigeria without crisis or division.
Regardless of the rejection of the result of the exercise by Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, former Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), who contested in the exercise, the former Chairman of the National Assembly, was still upbeat about its outcome.
Atiku Abubakar, Vice President between 1999 and 2007, had emerged winner of the process that took place across Nigeria from Monday till Wednesday, when the result was eventually announced.
The declared result showed that the former VP who would be running for the nation’s number one job for a record seven times came tops with Atiku 1,846,370, to Amaechi’s 504,117 and Hayat-Deen’s 177,120. Total votes cast in the election: 2,546,457 in the 3,113,599 tally.
Mark, who officially presented the ADC flag to Atiku as the party’s presidential standard-bearer, was emphatic that the exercise was not merely about producing a presidential candidate but about proving that internal democracy could still function effectively in the country.
Hear him: “Today is not just about announcing a presidential candidate. Today is also about proving a point to Nigeria and to Nigerians. It is about proving that democracy can still work.
“Proving that political competition does not have to become political warfare. That a party can organise itself around principles instead of personalities. This event has shown that in a season of deep national anxiety, a bright future is still possible.”
Stressing that had doubted the party’s ability to conduct a peaceful and credible primary, with some predicting division and collapse within the ADC, he praised members of the Presidential Screening Committee and Presidential Primary Election Committee for what he described as their professionalism and commitment to fairness despite pressure surrounding the exercise.
“In the face of enormous pressure, logistical complexity, and intense national attention, they carried out their responsibilities with courage, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to fairness and transparency. The conduct of the primary has strengthened confidence in the party and its democratic process.
“Their work has strengthened the credibility of this exercise and reinforced the confidence of our members and the Nigerian people in the integrity of the African Democratic Congress.
“It is important to mention that we are the only political party to have three strong aspirants contest for the presidential ticket. This alone makes the ADC unique in its deep commitment to democracy and democratic practices.
“By subjecting themselves to this process, they did not merely contest an election. They strengthened democracy. And despite efforts in some quarters to create uncertainty and tension, they remained committed to this process and to the ideals of this party,” he added.
For Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti, the first female Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), it was another day of glory, as Alex Otti, Governor of Abia laid out another red carpet for her in lieu of her starling performance in the 2023 governorship election in the state.
The university don, was the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who was nationally recognised for standing her ground against forces that reportedly tried to skew the process, leading to the emergence of Otti as governor.
Since then, she had received several recognitions including from the governor and other bodies, including her own students at FUTO, who gave her a heroic welcome upon the conclusion of her INEC task – the first and only one to be so accorded in Nigeria.
Wednesday’s recognition came through the naming of the newly inaugurated Umuahia Central Bus Terminal, a multimodal transport facility in the state capital after her, by the governor, who said it was in recognition of her role in that exercise.
Otti, who stressed that the decision was informed by her act of courage, integrity and commitment to truth, said: “This terminal has been named after Professor Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti, the courageous INEC returning officer who demonstrated unflinching integrity in the discharge of her duties during a high-stakes election assignment here in Abia.”
The governor, while stating that the honour was not limited to don alone but symbolised all individuals who resisted electoral manipulation added: “In 2023, through her courageous disposition of standing firmly by the truth… she reminded us that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary results by simply saying no.
“So she’s just a representative of all of you—INEC staff who never bent, party officials who didn’t give in, security agencies… people who said no to intimidation.”
Stressing that the state had moved beyond basic infrastructure delivery to building an integrated transport system, he said: “The days of playing small is over. We shall no longer confine ourselves to the margins.”
He explained that the terminal was designed to accommodate over 340 buses and would improve accessibility, safety and efficiency in urban transport operations, adding that it would be supported by electric bus services, with 20 already in operation, while additional units are expected in phases.
“Services will keep improving as more buses are delivered… and you can tell with accuracy when a particular bus will arrive and depart,” he said.
He urged residents to protect the facility and support government efforts by maintaining order and paying taxes, warning against vandalism, waste disposal violations and other practices that could undermine the project, stressing that offenders would face sanctions.
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