By Uchenna Ehirim
Alex Otti came highly recommended for the top job of superintending over the affairs of Abians as state governor, after several attempts since 2014 until mother luck shined on him in 2023.
We had concluded that Mazi Otti will bring a paradigm shift from the old traditional politics of past regimes in Abia and set a new template of governance.
This stems from his past experience as a former bank managing director and seasoned technocrat.
We are very disturbed at what is becoming a trend in propaganda aimed at blackmailing past leaders of the state especially the immediate past Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.
Governor Otti had demonstrated his hatred, disdain and vindictiveness on the immediate past Governor.
A few example will confirm this assertion;
1.Governor Otti on assumption, made it a state policy by not having anything associated with the past administration. This culminated into the sacking of all the part permanent secretaries in addition to sacking all directors that have stayed 8 years on the directorship position.
This happened simply because they served under Ikpeazu’s administration.
2.Otti till date has allowed the shoe factory and garment factory worth hundreds of millions built and commissioned by Ikpeazu to rot away just because he is avoiding associating with any legacy project of Ikpeazu including a newly built specialist hospital at old Aba General hospital which is lying fallow till date. That hospital has state-of-the-art equipment imported from different parts of the world to handle challenges of kidney failure, liver problems, etc.
3.If Governor Otti can lie on national television about Abia state investment in Geometric Power just to deny Dr. Okezie’s contribution to the successful take off of Geometric, why will he acknowledge the fact that #10 billion airport funds were actually not misappropriated if the opportunity presents itself?
He has equally told several lies even on national television which has made it difficult for anyone to believe him.
He claimed that he does not touch local government fund but evidence on ground including confessions from his own appointed transition committee members have proved otherwise. He should not be taken seriously.
He is yet to explain how over #6 billion was used for capacity building and research, outside maintaining his office with #11 billion despite a whopping #4.5 billion claimed for security votes as seen in the SFTAS report.
Till date, his government is yet to provide evidence or pictures of new schools and hospitals claimed at over #5 billion despite having several figures claimed as renovation of schools and hospitals in his Q1SFTAS report.
Otti who lied on national television that he has not taken any loan despite viral news of evidence of #50 billion drawn with Cranburg Construction for ‘various roads’ on behalf of government . Such person should not be trusted to tell any simple truth.
If as a Governor, Otti can brazenly lie about clearing the nine years arrears of pension whereas it was actually nine months arrears of his adminstration from June 2023 to March 2024 being outstanding of half pension he was paying pensioners, yet, went further to balkanize the pension association having gotten a faction to sign forfeiture agreement of their remaining pension and gratuity which accumulated since OUK regime, worth over 38 billion as at September 2022, why will you believe such character when he says that #10 billion was credited to 32 accounts and was siphoned?
Alex Otti went to Maryland in US and alleged that a top 3 auditing firm in forensic investigation discovered N10 billion was stolen without any airport. The Okezie administration had demanded for the report of forensic investigation to enable them respond to allegations of N107 billion alleged to have been misappropriated.
For weeks , the government failed to provide the report till date instead handed over a page to a blog owned by one of the Ottis aide with allegation of #10 billion processed by UBA using Ferotex Construction name .
Ikpeazu’s team provided documents showing that Ferotex Construction Ltd was used as the: Contractor during their plans for airport which was formally called off.
Ikpeazu’s team further provided state executive documents showing when the funds were redirected for payments to contractors handling major roads in Abia as at then.
Available documents showing the list of beneficiary contractors and amounts paid to each of them.
Documents also show the house of assembly resolution and all the legal documents which included a tripartite MOU signed between Ferotex Construction Ltd, the State government and the beneficiaries.
Alex Oti was shocked with the provision of these documents as they hid these documents away from the public just to push on with the narrative especially when they discovered to their consternation that Okezie aides have mirror file of all these transactions.
Just recently, in a media chat, the incumbent governor was asked to give update on the Abia airport as many had questioned what he tried to achieve by such allegation in far away America which discredited his administration style and the state. The Governor in answering, said Ferotex explained as if the MD of Ferotex, Chief Nwabueze Patrick Duru, was forced to lie and involve themselves in fraud.
It is only those that are strangers to Alex Otti that can believe that story especially when we have names of beneficiaries of these funds.
Alex is looking for soft landing having exhausted all his lies on the airport saga which gullible Nigerians, unfortunately have taken as true .
In his bid to extend his extermination, annihilating policy of past administration, the Governor had brought the image of a hard working and innocent MD/CEO of Ferotex (Chief Nwabueze Patrick Duru) to national disrepute as Governor Otti does not mind the consequences of his actions on Ferotex Construction provided he paints IKPEAZU bad.
The irony of the whole drama is that Alex Otti till date is awarding contracts to the same Ferotex Construction Ltd long after the allegations were made public. Abia state government has continued to pay Ferotex Construction for jobs done which runs into billions of Naira.
Save the image of Ferotex Construction Ltd and separate them from toxic Abia Politics.
Uchenna Ehirim writes from Umiahia.
