By By Christian Okpara
Labour Party’s governorship candidate for Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, has promised to bring looters of the state’s treasury to book.
Speaking while addressing supporters in Osisioma Council of the state, Otti, who expressed pains at the abject misery in the council, said the end is in sight for contributors to underdevelopment of the state.
The Labour Party candidate, who visited Aro-Ngwa, Ekeakpara and Asa-Umudiyi, where he met with some traditional rulers and people living in and around those areas, lamented that the only achievement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in Osisioma is the short flyover on the federal highway that took over seven years to build.
“The flyover was only completed after I took them up and told them that the project belongs to Abia people, and, therefore, must be completed as it had almost become abandoned,” Otti said.
Recounting his many interventions in the political affairs of the state as the sole opposition voice, among all those jostling to lead the state since 2014, Otti said: “The reason I say this is because you cannot become opposition overnight. Let’s stop the deceit. If you are a man of character, your word becomes your bond.
“Whoever has misappropriated Abia’s money, stolen the state’s wealth, it will not be well with them. All the people who ensured that our pensioners, people who have worked as teachers, medical doctors, health services workers and council staff members are not paid their monies; they continue to get rich on the miseries of retirees, they will become poor very soon.
“So, tell all those who are being owed that help is on the way. They should weep no more, because by May 29 when we assume office, latest by December this year, all the debt owed by government, whether pension, gratuity or salary we will pay all of them.”
He admonished the people to be circumspect as they prepare to vote in February 25 and March 11 elections, saying governance should no longer be seen as business as usual.
“Anybody who says he wants to be governor, ask him to come debate with me so he will tell us how he wants to liberate the state. If he convinces us and his solutions are better than mine, I will step down for him and support his campaign.”
“Leadership is not child’s play. My deputy is a 38-year-old man; so, being youthful is good, but what we are talking about now is experience. I have the capacity. It’s not about going about sharing money stolen from government contracts. I have not done any government contract and don’t have free money to throw around, and, besides, we’re Labour Party; we no dey give shi-shi.”
He said he joined the governorship race
to empower Abia people and remove them from poverty through wealth creation.
The top banker and renowned economist recalled how he stopped the approval of $200 million loan to the state government in 2017 by African Development Bank (ADB), thereby saving the state from being plunged more deeply into indebtedness.
“If I hadn’t stopped them from collecting that loan, by now our debt profile would have risen far above the over N190 billion debt Abia is currently owing. What is important now is for someone with capacity to come in and restructure these debts to make it manageable,” he declared.
Source: The Guardian
