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Tag: Alex Otti

  • Ex-President Obasanjo hails Otti on pension repeal, appeals to other govs to emulate him

    Ex-President Obasanjo hails Otti on pension repeal, appeals to other govs to emulate him

    Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has commended Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, for repealing the law that allowed former governors and their deputies to collect pensions.

    He advised other state governors to emulate Otti to reduce the cost of governance.

    The former President spoke during a courtesy visit to Otti at the Governor’s country home in Nvosi, Isialangwa South Local Government Area.

    He congratulated the Governor for ending the pension to former governors and former deputy governors which he described as daylight robbery.

    “The pension scheme for former governor here is atrocious, it’s like daylight robbery because it allows them to have a house in Abuja and elsewhere and cart away with whatever they feel like carting away yet the pension for ordinary people is unpaid, what sort of leadership is that?

    “And you came and you said there will be an end to that rascality. I congratulate you and I say to you that I hope that some of your colleagues will follow in your footsteps. You have started but you should never be tired.

    “You will be discouraged, you will be abused, you will be called names but if we have one-third of our states doing what should be done this country will be a different country and you are doing what should be done,” Obasanjo said.

    The former President, who passed a vote of confidence on Otti, acknowledging his developmental strides which have restored public confidence in the government, urged him to pay more attention to infrastructure, describing the people of Abia State as enterprising.

    “I will urge you that you pay adequate attention to infrastructure because if you give infrastructure and you give the type of leadership you are giving now, the people of this state have nothing to worry about because they are enterprising on their own.”

    Otti thanked the former President for commending him on the repeal of the pension law and assured him that his administration was focused on providing infrastructure for the people of the state.

    “There is not much we can do if we don’t focus on infrastructure and part of infrastructure is power. In fact it is the most important infrastructure for industrialisation, production, manufacturing and even small and medium-scale enterprises.

    “So, I want to also thank you for supporting our decision to repeal the pension law for former governors and former deputy governors. I had said yesterday as I signed the bill into law that I strongly believe that leadership is stewardship and if you come to serve the people, you can’t at the same time be fleecing the people,” Otti said.

    The Abia State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed into law, H.A.B 11: A Bill for a ‘Law to Repeal The Abia State Governors & Deputy Governors Pensions Law No 4 of 2001 and for other Matters Connected Therewith’ sponsored by the Majority Leader and member representing Arochukwu State Constituency Okoro Uchenna Kalu.

    The passage of the bill followed its first and second readings, the consideration by the committee of the whole before its 3rd reading during Tuesday’s plenary at the hallowed chamber.

    Following the passage of the Bill by the lawmakers, Governor Otti on Thursday signed it into law.

  • Otti signs Govs, Deputies pension repeal bill into law

    Otti signs Govs, Deputies pension repeal bill into law

    Gov. Alex Otti of Abia on Thursday signed the Abia State of Nigeria Governors and Deputy Governors Pension Repel bill of 2024 into law.

    In a speech after assenting to the law in Nvosi, Otti described the new law as part of the efforts made to promote good governance and stewardship in Abia.

    The governor said that he strongly believed that leadership was all about stewardship and should not be viewed as an opportunity to embezzle public funds.

    He thanked  the Abia House of Assembly for expeditiously dealing with the bill, which was an executive Bill and commended them for the cordial relationship between the legislative and executive arms of government.

    Otti said that the cordial relationship between both arms of government had been built on trust and understanding that the separate arms of government were working together for the people.

    He assured the Legislature of  maximum support from the Executive.

    Otti described the new law regarding revoking pension payments to former office holders as a step in the right direction.

    He said that “government is not about self interest, it is actually self interest that destroys government.”

    Otti said that prioritising public welfare over individual benefits ought to be given key consideration in policy-making.

    He said that he was aware that he would have benefitted if the law continued to exist and added that it was best to use the funds to improve the lives of citizens.

    Otti also said that the pensioners  were the people that need the funds the most and not former office holders.

    He expressed displeasure over the practice of allocating 80 per cent of the state’s budget to recurrent expenditure and  20 per cent goes to capital expenditure by past administrations.

    He said that the changed policy was part of the efforts made by the present administration to reduce the cost of governance.

    Otti said: “I have seen engagements where people said that they have not been collecting.

    “It is true because they have not been paid, and we don’t believe that those payments should be made.

    “One of the people that should be paid wrote me about not being paid; I put a call across to him and explained why it should not be paid and he agreed with me.

    “I told him we have not paid anyone and he said that he wants to confirm that he was not being singled out.

    “The  point I am trying to make is that even the people that should receive it believe that repealing the law is the best.”

    The Speaker, Abia House of Assembly, Mr Emmanuel Emereuwa, said that the bill when signed into law would revoke Abia State Governors’ and Deputy Governors’ Law no 4 of 2001.

    Emeruwa, represented by his  Deputy , Mr Austin Meregini, said that he had come to present the bill to the governor for his assent.

    In a remark, the Attorney General of the state, Mr Ikechukwu Uwanna, said that the governor had  taken a bold and audacious step by assenting to the bill.

    Uwanna said that he believed that it was in line with the will of the people and thanked the House of Assembly for working in tandem with the executive to transform the State.

  • Why there is free fall of Naira – Gov Otti reveals

    Why there is free fall of Naira – Gov Otti reveals

    Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has said printing of too much money in circulation by the Federal Government causes the free fall of Naira.

    The governor stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday.

    Otti, a member of Labour Party (LP) said, “I believe that the major problem we have is financial discipline. We are dealing with an economy where we printed so much money, at the last count, we will be nearing N30 trillion.

    “So what happens with ways and means is that the quantum of goods that you have available in an economy does not increase with the quantity of money that you print.”

    According to him, Nigeria must move from consumption to production for the economy to recover.

    He condemned the situation whereby Africa’s largest economy imports virtually every product, saying it piles much pressure on the foreign market.

    “The issue of production versus consumption, if the economy must recover, we must move to production.

    “That does not necessarily mean we will reduce consumption; what it means is that we will be consuming what we produce, to the extent that we are importing virtually everything. You keep piling pressure on the foreign exchange market”.

     

  • Herbert Wigwe: Saying goodbye – By Alex Otti

    Herbert Wigwe: Saying goodbye – By Alex Otti

    By Alex Otti

    Herbert, why? Why? Why? You told me you were going for a board meeting in London from where you will head out to the US and return after a few days and immediately come to Abia to see me. So, what happened?

    Since this news filtered out, I’ve not been able to put my head down. I spoke to Peggy who was broken but strong. I refused to believe. Many others confirmed but they were also reporting other people. Then comes this call minutes ago from Sola Faleye, my younger friend whom you “acquired” as you took over Diamond Bank. You had severally shared how one of the best things about the acquisition of Diamond Bank was Sola. He was with you everywhere you went but alas, Sola was unreachable all throughout yesterday. For some reason, he had to step down from that ill-fated Chopper to accompany the luggage by road. His name remains on the manifest! It is now clear that you are no more!

    What do we tell Tochi and the little ones? Who will tell Mummy Stella and Daddy Shyngle who you celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary two years ago? How about those of us who have come to see you as part of life? Your dream Wigwe University which you told me was going to be the Harvard of Africa? Who will carry on with that dream? We had extensively talked about setting up a scholarship scheme to support brilliant but indigent students. Who will ensure that this dream is delivered?

    This death is too big a blow to me personally and all those that knew you closely. You were not only my friend but my brother. Your constant encouragement and sometimes insistence have been very helpful in a lot of decisions one took. Even in the most difficult moment, you were always there to share ideas. You always came from very unpopular perspectives, disagreeing with conventional wisdom. Your can-do spirit was infectious! You would prove book makers wrong, even with your “Mergers and Acquisition” mindset.

    I remember taking you up about 15 years ago quoting a research-based position that over 70% of mergers and acquisition destroy shareholder value. Your response was that Access Bank was in the 30% category!

    A few years ago, when a group of friends and I were working on a banking license, you drove to my house unannounced and insisted, “Alex, I’m glad you are working on a new bank, but I came to tell you that you should not run the bank. You have finished with banking; we need you in Abia and Abia needs you. We must get some of us that have the courage to go into public office, and you must remain there!” Since then, you have been consistent in your support.

    This is one of the saddest moments in my life. To worsen the situation, Chizoba and Chizzy who hardly fly with you were in that chopper. I’m still trying to make sense of the whole situation. I wish someone would wake me up and reassure me that this was a bad dream! But alas it is real.

    Good night my own brother Herbert! Good night, Chizoba! Good night, Chizzy! It is well with your souls.

    Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, Executive Governor Abia state

  • Abia Govt. to assist victims of Aba market fire

    Abia Govt. to assist victims of Aba market fire

    Gov. Alex Otti of Abia has said that the State Government will assist victims of the fire that occurred at the Eziukwu Road Market in Aba.

    Otti made the promise on Tuesday, while addressing the traders during  his visit to assess the extent of damage by the fire.

    The governor commiserated with the affected traders and urged them to be resilient and persevering and not allow the incident to dampen their spirit.

    Otti, who recalled a similar incident that occurred at Ahia Ohuru on January 27, admonished the traders to exercise caution and apply safety rule to prevent a resurrence.

    “It’s disheartening to witness such a devastation but we must learn from this and take precautions to avoid such tragedies in the future,” he said.

    The governor said that the deplorable state of many shops in the market raised questions about the integrity of the structures.

    According to him, the poor condition of the shops in the market underscores the need for  urgent action to be taken to  address safety concerns and modernise the market to prevent future fire.

    Otti also assured the traders that government would expedite action to improve the infrastructure in the market.

    “This would help to ensure the safety of the traders and their customers,” he said.

    He further said that the market would be transformed into a modern market with all the necessary facilities.

    “If you look at these shops, you will agree with me that a lot of them need some modernisation and renovation.

    “Some of them need to be pulled down and rebuilt. Just like I promised to do in Ngwa Road, I also will do here.

    “If you take a look at these shops, you will see that the integrity is questionable. It looks like something that would collapse very soon.

    “As a responsible government, we would not allow it to happen,” Otti said.

    He directed the Greater Aba Development Agency and other relevant agencies to commence the rehabilitation of the market to address its structural defects.

    He thanked the people of Abia for their support and affirmed his administration’s determination to fulfill his campaign promises.

    A section of the market was gutted by fire on Monday night with goods worth millions of naira destroyed.

    The incident happened barely two weeks after a similar outbreak destroyed a section of Ahia Ohuru on Ngwa Road with goods worth millions of naira.

  • I will now settle down to rebuild Abia – Otti

    I will now settle down to rebuild Abia – Otti

    Gov. Alex Otti says he will now settle down and rebuild Abia because his distractions were over with the Supreme Court affirmation of victory in the 2023 polls.

    Otti made the declaration at the Thanksgiving Service in his honour held at the Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA), Eastern Union Conference Headquarters, on Saturday at Abayi Umueze in Osisioma local government area (LGA).

    “Now that the distractions are over; that the storm is over, I will settle down and rebuild Abia,” he pledged.

    He said he contested elections three times because of the shame he faced each time he was confronted about the status of the state.

    He said that many people lost hope in his being elected again because he won the election on two occasions but his mandate was stolen.

    “We have been through this journey and today we are here as the Supreme court has confirmed that we won the election,” he added.

    He thanked the church for honouring him and encouraged the people to continue believing in God’s power to do all things.

    Earlier,  the  President, West/Central Africa Division of the SDA Church, Dr Robert Osei-Bonsu, charged the church to be united if it must achieve its purpose.

    Osei-Bonsu urged leaders not to allow the people they are leading to doubt their integrity.

  • Allow us live in cattle market – Northern Community begs Otti

    Allow us live in cattle market – Northern Community begs Otti

    The Northern Community in Umuchieze Cattle Market in Umunneochi Local government Area of Abia has appealed to Gov. Alex Otti to allow them to reside inside the market.

    The traders, who are predominantly dealers in cattle, made the appeal at a news briefing in the market on Wednesday.

    They also reacted to the government’s claim that it discovered a large number of decomposed and headless bodies as well as “countless skeletons” in the market located at Lokpanta in Umuchieze.

    The governor announced the weird discovery during his Sunday’s parley with newsmen.

    Otti, who had expressed concern over the state of insecurity at the Umuennochi/Isuikweato axis, said that the market had become a den of criminals and kidnappers.

    He had insisted that the government was going ahead with its plan to make the market non-residential.

    He therefore ordered the traders to live with the natives in the neighbouring communities.

    Reacting to the order, the Spokesman for the community, Buba Abdullahi, expressed their dissatisfaction with the government’s position.

    Abdullahi debunked the government’s claim that the market was littred with decomposed corpses and skeletons and that the market harboured criminals.

    He also blamed the media for their failure to investigate the allegation before publishing.

    He described the government’s allegation as an alibi to execute its premeditated plot to chase them away from the land they had occupied since 2005.

    He further alleged that part of the plot was the recent demolition of houses in the market.

    Abdullahi put their population at 15,000, saying that they occupied about 80 hectares of the land that was donated to them by Orji Kalu-led government.

    According to him, if the government would fence the market, demolish our houses and ask us to go and live in the neighbouring villages, it means it has automatically chased us away from Abia.

    He said: “We northerners are peace-loving and very accommodating.

    “This is the reason there are many southerners in the North doing their businesses without harassment and threats of eviction.

    “It is unjust, unfair and ungodly for anyone to prevent any Nigerian from staying in any part they so desired in Nigeria.

    “There is a general misconception that the northern community is harbouring criminals, but all the brothels, rooms, beer parlours, night clubs and lodging accommodation recently demolished belong to the natives.”

    Abdullahi said that it would be a “tactical mistake for us to relocate to communities in Umuchieze,” considering the prevailing high rate of crime in the atea.

    He said that some of them were also victims of the heavy crimes and criminalities taking place around the area.

    He expressed their readiness to collaborate with the state government toward finding a lasting solution to the security challenges in the area.

  • Abia Govt dismisses report on sack of 10,000 workers

    Abia Govt dismisses report on sack of 10,000 workers

    The Abia Government has dismissed a report on the sack of 10,000 civil servants.

    The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Okey Kanu, made this known in an interview with news men in Umuahia on Wednesday.

    “The report on the sack of Abia workers by Gov. Alex Otti is fake and unfounded,” he said.

    He said that the government introduced certain measures to address the issue of ghost workers, adding that in line with its agenda to sanitise the civil service removed names of ghost workers from the payroll of the government.

    “Some workers whose names were thrown up during the verification embarked upon by government as illegally employed were affected too.
    “This group, comprises of those who were illegally employed from December 2022 up until March and April this year,”Kanu said.

    He said that some of the civil servants that fall in this category had their appointment letters backdated.

    “The employment of these individuals can be best described as surreptitious and a bait used to pile underserved pressure on the present administration, adding that no responsible government would allow such a situation to continue,” he said.

    Kanu also said that there were no waivers applied in the employment of workers from December to April.

    He said there are established processes for the employment of workers into the Civil Service in Abia.

    He said that due process was not followed with regards to the employments and urged the people of Abia to disregard the fake story about the alleg sacking of 10’000 Abia workers.

    Kanu said that the commitment of the state government to the welfare of the workers both those working now and the retired ones, remains unwavering, and further, reiterated the resolve of the government to pay all salaries and pension arrears.

  • Asset recovery: How Ikpeazu is making desperate efforts to stop probe by panel- Otti

    Asset recovery: How Ikpeazu is making desperate efforts to stop probe by panel- Otti

    The governor of abia state, Alex Otti  has revealed how his predecessor, Okezie Ikpeazu, is allegedly making desperate efforts to avoid probe by procuring court order to stop the Judiciary Panel on the Recovery of Government Properties and Funds belonging to Abia State.

    Otti in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kazie Uko, said:”Twice, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) former Governor had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja for ex parte order to restrain the Judicial Panel, from doing its work, but on the two occasions he was rebuffed by the courts.”

    The statement reads:”The two attempts were rejected because he failed to put the state government on notice as directed by the courts.

    “A source conversant with details of the two futile moves by Ikpeazu puts it in proper perspective:

    “Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, the immediate past Governor of Abia State, had instituted Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/907/2023 DR. OKEZIE IKPEAZU & 3 ORS VS GOVERNOR OF ABIA STATE & 8 ORS in the Abuja division of the Federal High Court and same was assigned to his Lordship Hon. Justice Omotosho J.

    “In that suit, Dr. Ikpeazu sought (by way of an Ex-Parte application) to secure an Ex-Parte order to restrain a Judicial Panel of Enquiry set up by the Government of Abia State to recover government properties and funds. His Lordship Hon. Justice Omotosho J. refused the Ex-Parte application insisting that the respondents be put on notice.

    “He immediately withdrew the suit and filed a fresh one FHC/ABJ/CS/945/2023 Ikpeazu Vs INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE (IGP) & 8 ORS which was assigned to His Lordship Hon. Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who, also refused the Ex-Parte application to restrain the proceedings of the panel and gave the Claimant 2 (two) days to put the respondents on notice. He once again quickly withdrew the suit

    “It is obvious that by withdrawing both suits and also refusing to put the Abia State Government on notice as directed by the court, it is clear that this is a subterranean exercise and patent manifestation of bad faith and a desperate attempt to use the court as a shield for the alleged criminal activities of his administration in Abia State.”

    Otti who vowed to recover every dime stolen from the state, said that his predecessor had not given up on his desperation to avoid probe.

    “We have it on good authority that Ikpeazu is shopping for another court that would possibly give him the order to stop the probe.“

  • It’s wrong to say Ikpeazu left nothing for Otti – Iroha

    It’s wrong to say Ikpeazu left nothing for Otti – Iroha

    A former media aide to former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Ikechukwu Iroha, has said that it is wrong for the administration of Governor Alex Otti to say that his former boss left only debts without leaving any cash or near-cash assets behind.

    Iroha, who claimed he decided to speak out, said he needed to do so not because of anything but to carry out personal unsolicited intervention just to put the records straight to the best of his knowledge.

    According to him, at the time of Ikpeazu’s exit from office, the state was not owing any commercial bank including temporary overdrafts, adding that Ikpeazu paid off all.

    “Abia State under the watch of Dr Ikpeazu invested $5,000,000.00 in Geometric Power Company. That’s a near-cash asset”, he stated.

    “As of Friday, 9th June 2023, the state received Twenty-Four Billion Naira (N24,000,000,000.00) through the Nigeria Governors’ Forum as part of a total of N48b standing to the credit of the state. The money was earned under the watch of Dr Ikpeazu.”

    Iroha said that Ikpeazu’s administration perfected a Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000.00) World Bank facility at a 0.06% interest rate with 10 years repayment moratorium for the construction of more than 500km roads including extremely dilapidated Port Harcourt Road, Aba.

    He added, “The implication is that the current administration can commence drawing down on that facility from day one to construct critical roads in Abia State and will not have to repay the money over the pendency of its tenure, assuming it is up to 8 years.

    “African Development Bank facility of Two Hundred Million Dollars ($200,000,000.00) processed by the Ikpeazu administration is also ready for the new administration to access for construction of rural roads.”

    Iroha said that while the Ikpeazu administration superintended over the state for most of May 2023, it is the current administration that will receive the FAAC allocation for that month.

    He said that similar to the above, internally generated revenue for the month of May 2023 is also available to the new administration.

    “Prior to the exit of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu from office, Abia State Government and the office of the accountant general of the federation reconciled their accounts with N6,000,0000,000.00 standing to the credit of the state.

    “What that also says is that the Ikpeazu administration was not owing the federal government but rather it was FGN that owed the state. The current administration has access to that additional fund of N6b.

    “While we are still expecting the new administration to give the detailed composition of the alleged debts left behind by the Ikpeazu administration, it is safe to say that they are mostly long-term development facilities, contractor debts and possibly outstanding payments to pensioners and salary earners.

    “It is my candid view that the new administration in the state can smoothly take off and service state liabilities with what it has without screaming or yelling.”