Otti-led administration has raised the bar of governance in Abia in last 100 days after inauguration — Party stalwart, Emma Uche

By Chinedu Emeruwa Chinedu

A staunch chieftain of the labour party from the southeast, Mazi Emmanuel Uche, on Saturday, evaluated the development Governor Alex Otti-led administration in Abia state in the last one hundred days after assumption of office in May 29, 2023.

Recall that Mr Otti, the Abia flagbearer of the labour party during the just-concluded March 18th, 2023 gubernatorial election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission across all polling units in the state, was declared winner of the poll by the INEC Returning Officer.

He polled a total highest number 175, 467 votes cast to beat close rivals, beating close rivals whom were the candidate to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Okey Ahiwe who scored 88,529 votes to come second.

On 29 May, 2023, Alex Otti, who was also a former bank chief was swore in as the duly democratically-elected Executive Governor of Abia State by the State Chief Judge.

In his maiden speech delivered during the inaugural ceremony which took place in Umuahia Township Stadium, he promised to raise the bar of governance in the state through formulation and implementation of impactful developmental policies tilted at improving living standard of the populace in Abia.

Earlier, Mazi Uche, a former Abia Local Government council Chairmanship hopeful, while interacting with a cross section of journalists at his Arochukwu residence on Saturday, opined that Governor Otti has demonstrated capacity, ability and openness in the administration of affairs of the state, amid the bottlenecks and daunting challenges he met on ground on assumption of office in May this year.

According to him, “The governor hit the ground running immediately he assumed office. And you come to Abia now, meaningful social infrastructural amenities and projects are being executed and completed fully by this government.

“In security, the recently-launched security Initiative codenamed, ‘Operation Crush’ which made up of all conventional security agencies we have in Nigeria. Nigerian police, army, civil defence, naval and other conventional security apparatuses in the country, including relevant paramilitary security outfit operating in Abia.

“Not only this stride by Governor Otti, he equally provided a huge numbers of new branded security Hilux vans to these various relevant security agencies that formed members of the newly launched ‘Operation crush initiative, saddled with the responsibility to curb every parts of the state acts of criminalities being perpetrated by arm robbers, bandits, kidnappers, and rest of others”.

“Today, every Abia areas is safe, and people’s lives and properties are secured to the fullest. There are no more hideouts anywhere in Abia state for criminal elements and men of underworld. And this particular effort or strides are being achieved because of effective and efficient security architecture put in place by Otti-led administration,” he added.

Continuing, Uche stated the current state government has displayed transparency, accountability and prudence in managing all accrues from the state’s internally generated revenues (IGR), federal allocations, external borrowings etc, in executing buildings of gigantic social projects in the three Abia senatorial districts in last one hundred days in office as Chief executive officer of the state.

He stated that Otti had equally ensured every civil servants from one grade to the highest in State ministries, departments and agencies, including workers in state parastastal received their salaries or wages before the monthly ends.

His words: “These and many other visible and uncommon developmental gains, this present current state government has so far achieved on assumption of office which are deared to the masses in Abia

“I can attest that in last 32 years since after creation of Abia by the then military government, headed by retired Major General Ibrahim Babaginda, Abia is yet to join league of developed federating states in Nigeria.

“Abia is visually backward in every facets of its economic growths and human and infrastructural development due to leadership failure and draconian policies and lack of direction by past successive political leaders who were opportune to preside Abia’s affairs since after its creation. But visit Abia today, you will see genuine economic and infrastructural transformation going on in every Abia rural and urban areas initiated by this current governor. And apart from socio-economic and infrastructural strides of this government. The Otti led administration has initiated impactful reforms in Abia civil service for effective.

While assessing the democratic gains recorded by the Otti’s administration in Abia in last 100 days, after its formal inauguration and assumption of office in May, Mr. Uche also applauded people of the state on their continued support to the State Governor in defiance of blackmails and cheap propaganda from Abia opposition chieftains.

He reassured that the current state government controlled by labour party(LP) is genuinely committed in taking Abia to higher pedestal in human empowerments, economic and infrastructural development towards improving people’s welfares irrespective of tribal, religious and political affiliations.