ALEX OTTI IS A POLITICALLY BARREN & WISHFUL THINKER.
By Chinyemike Torti
The scourge of the Nigerian political space, has been the unbridled intrusion and emergence of uncongenial aspirants, who pretend to be endowed with the breast plate of political righteousness to ‘save’ the Republic or state. They huff and puff about some imaginary pie in the sky or dubious low hanging fruits, they would harvest for citizens if elected to public office. Dr. Alex Otti recent castigation, of Abia state government fits into this mold. As a retired banker and economist, one had expected him to provoke a debate or dialogue on the policy direction and economic blueprint of the government of his vision.

In a desperate effort at besmirching the PDP and Abia State Executive Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, the erstwhile money changer at Diamond Bank that carved a niche for himself in the heroic book of gubernatorial failures, did not make any pretense at enlightened commentary but oozed out a rancid  and wishy washy hoopla, fuming with street language, intellectual thuggery, and conversational terrorism. He betrayed a pathetic narrative, likened to the grumblings of an abandoned, marginally attractive spinster bereft of a spouse. The critical mass of the civil society, turned up their noses ,because he reeked with false hood, ignorance, reckless, dumb and illogical appraisals.
The centerpiece of his conversation since his 2015 misadventure is to dwell on theatrics, rooted in demagoguery, distortion of history and barefaced misrepresentation which has been his nemesis and will always be. In his recent outing, he oozed out his trademark tissue of lies about ‘tacky’ Abia infrastructure, civil servants unpaid salaries, healthcare, Enyinmba City and a litany of salacious beer parlor gossip.


In trying to denigrate Abia, he made a heavy weather of Aba roads, as deficient, with an epithet of infrastructural decay He lied, that we have the worst road networks in the federation. We state without any fear of contradiction that for the first time in the history of Abia state, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu set in motion and pioneered THE CATERPILLAR revolution- an audacious, vigorous engagement to endow Ndi Abia with top of the range, well paved roads.

What Dr Okezie promised at the electioneering campaign platform, has matched the lived life in the communities. For instance he was sworn-in on May 29, 2015 which was a Friday. By the next working day, Monday, June 1, 2015, he flagged off seven roads within the Aba metropolis. By the next day, Tuesday, June 2, 2015, he reverted to Umuahia  where 3 roads, were flagged off.

As we speak more than 134 road projects are either completed or ongoing. The list of of completed road projects are herewith stated. Kaduna Street, Umuahia,Kamalu Road,Umuwaya Road, Umuahia,Road II, Federal Lowcost Housing Estate, Umuahia ,Niger Road, Umuahia Ukaegbu Road, Aba Umuola Road, Aba, Umuocham Road,Aba, Umule Road, Ommene Drive, Aba Jubilee Road, Aba Ehi Road, Aba, Hospital Road, Aba,Ube Street, Aba.Adazi Street, Aba Okon-Aku Main Bridge, Ohafia LGA,George’s Street, Aba South .

Echefu Road,. Enuc Road, Osisioma LGA St. Michael's Road, Aba Azikiwe Road, Aba Pound Road,
The inventory continues with: Aba-Uwalaka Street Link Road to Factory Road, Umuahia ,Ubakala Street, Warri By Club Road, Bende Road, Army Checkpoint, Bank Road, Abia Tower Round About, Umuahia,. Owerrinta Road, Aba. Week's Road, Aba Park Road, Aba,School Road, Aba East Road, Aba, Okwunauka Road, Aba, Cameroun Road, Aba Queens Road, Aba. Ehere Road, Obingwa , Umuojima Road, Imo Ndikpa Bridge, Umunneochi, Umuojima-Owerrinta Road with Spur from Owerrinta to Umuocheala, Isiala Ngwa South/Obingwa . Bata-Railway Crossing-Brass Junction, Ibadan Road, Aharandu Road, Aba South .

Onyebuchi Road, Umuehigbu Road, Road 2 in low cost Housing Estate Umuahia Road 8 in Low Cost Housing Estate Umuahia. Ugwuezi road Abiriba (ring road phase Ohafia ,Asphalt Overlay of 1.3km dualized Aba Owerri Road (2.6km single lane and channelization of Aba Phase I), AbOkobo bridge along Abam-Ndi Oji/Ndi Okereke-Arochukwu road Erosion Control Works at (6) Spots Along Uzuakoli-Akara-Ohafia Road (10km), Bende LGA including Imenyi. Ovom road, Ogbor Hill Aba, Mosque Street Aba, Umuatako road Aba Asa Umuka-Ugwunagbo Obohia Junction road, Ugwunagbo. Owerri road off Okigwe road Aba.Chima Nwafor road Aba.Abam Street, Unuahia North. Awolowo road, Umuahia North. Nbawsi-Umuala road, Isiala Ngwa North.

Herewith are awarded and on-going road projects viz: Expansion/Rehabilitation of Ururuka Road from Obikabia Junction to Umuobiakwa, Obingwa, Construction of Old Express Road, Construction of 3 No Roads Government Station Layout (ICC, ASUBEB Building Road and JAC Building) Umuahia North LGA. Rehabilitation/Reconstruction of Nbawsi Road from King Mortuary to Umuala Nsulu, Isiala Ngwa,Construction of Agbama Housing Estate Ring Road, Umuahia,

Construction of 3 No Roads in Federal Lowcost Housing Estate, Umuahia Construction of Eke-Eziama Obuzu Ngodo Road, Umunneochi,Construction of Abiriba Ring Road phase 2 with Spur to Amaukwu, Ohafia,Construction of Eluama Amilo Acha and Amino Otamkpa, Isuikwuato, Construction of Umuovom-Okwueze House of Assembly Road, Umuahia North, Rehabilitation/Reconstruction of Abia Nkwo Ahiaba Umueze-Udeagbala PH Express Express Junction with Spur to Umuimo Junction on Aba-Owerri Road, Construction of Ebenma/Egege Road, Construction of Osisioma Interchange (Flyover) Aba Rehabilitation of Umuaro-Umuokoro-Mgbokonaya-Umuokegwu-Omoba-Umuerie-Umuekia Road, Obingwa/Isiala Ngwa , Construction of Ariam-Usaka Ring Road, Ikwuano LGA,Construction of Umuagu-Ossa Ukwuowo Obikabia-Ohuru Ring Road, Obingwa LGA Construction of Unueze-Agbor-Ubani Ibeku Modern Market Road, Umuahia ,Construction of Ozuabam-Ndi Okereke-Arochukwu Road, Arochukwu LGA, Construction of Amuihe-Umuokehi-Umunkaru Afugiri Road, Umuahia North LGA,  Construction of 3 No. Roads in Umuahia (Umuana 1st Gate, Unuana-Ahiaeke Road and IBB GRA Dual Carriage Way), Umuahia North LGA Construction of Bende-Idima Aba Road, Arochukwu LGA. Construction of Ebem Layout Road Ohafia, Expansion of Aba-Obikabia Road, Isiala Ngwa North.

Reconstruction of Uratta-Umuekechi-Obekwe-Ogwe Road, Ukwa Construction of Umuobiakwa-Itukpa Crescent, Obingwa . Construction of Umuojima-Owerrinta Road with Spur to Owerrinta Umudigha Road, Isiala Ngwa South Construction of Abiriba Junction to Etitiama Nkporo, Ohafia ,Construction of Umuobiakwa-Owo Onicha Ngwa Road, Obingwa LGA,Construction of Amaoba-Nnono Ndoro-Oboro Road with Spur to Ikputu, Ikwuano LGA. Construction of Amuda Isuochi Community Road, Umunneochi LGA. Construction of Lohum-Nkpa Dto Enugu Port Harcourt Expressway, Bende/Umuahia ,Dualization/Expansion of Umuahia-Aba Road , Ururuka (Phase II), Umuahia North/South/Isiala Ngwa North/South/Obingwa ,  reconstruction of Umuahia Railway crossing to Eastern Comfort Hotels, Umuahia , construction of Ariam Usaka Ring Road, Ikwuano, Reconstruction of Emelogu Road, Aba. Reconstruction of Ohazu-Ozumba Streets, Aba.

Reconstruction of Faulks Road, Rehabilitation and Expansion of Ifeobara Pond with 6.5km underground drainage to waterside Aba. Rehabilitation of Trinity College-Afara Technical Secondary School Road, Umuahia North Construction of Umuocheala/Abayi-Ihie Road, Isiala Ngwa South Construction of Abayi-Ariaria Umuojima-Umuakpara Road Spur to Umuidiagha , Construction of Nbawsi-Eziala-Osusu-Okpuala Ngwa Road,  Reconstruction of MCC road Aba Reconstruction/Construction of Udeagbala Road, Aba. Reconstruction/Construction of Kent street with Spur to Aba Shopping Mall, Aba, Reconstruction of Aba Area Command Access Road, Aba Construction of Ibere Road by Ngwa Road, Aba. Rehabilitation of failed sections of Roads in Aba Municipality (Total Area 19.914km), AbaReconstruction of 3 Roads within World Bank Housing Estate , Umuahia North LGA,Construction of Obinwa- Omauzor Abattoir Road, Uratta Aba,Construction of Agbozu Cocoa Plantation Road, Uratta Aba,Construction of Nbawsi Urban Roads, Isiala Ngwa,Construction of Umuaro-Nenu-Obot Akara Road, Obingwa LGA,Construction of Road in Uratta Integrated Market, Aba, Osokwa-Aro Umuehie-Omoba Road , Isiahia-Umuode Road ,Obehie (Foundation Hope) Umukalu-Umuturu-Obaha-Obohia-Ohandu-Umuibe Road . Amaise-Umuobiakwa-Ohanze Road , Owoo-Ahiafor-Agburuike-Ohanze Road ,Reconstruction Umuaro-Umuanunu-Ekwereazu-Nto Border Road Ovom/Umuogele Junction-Ukuenyi-Abala-Ika Akwa Ibom Border,. Eziala-Nvosi-Eketa Road .Mgbokonta-Amachi-Umunkpeyi Road , Umunkpeyi-Amaiyi-Okpokiri-Umuehim-Umuru Road . Amachi-Nenu Road . Construction/Rehabilitation of 10km length of Rural Road(s) in each of the 17 LGAs of Abia State.
Reconstruction of Port Harcourt Road Aba, Aba North LGA, to 6-lane road with BRT lane. Construction/Dualization of Layout Roads in New Government House Area, Umuahia North LGA. Construction of People's Road-Akpu Road.

Reconstruction of Ngwa Road Aba South Reconstruction of Immaculate Avenue Umungasi Aba with spur to Kamalu road. Rehabilitation of 10 No. Roads in Umuahia- Agbazuere Road, Orpet Filling Station to Nwokwa Street, Nneokwa Street, Enugu Ukwu Street, Ndoki Road, Health Centre Road, Emma Nwabuko to Upstairs Line Road, Mazi Akuma Okoro Road, Unuafai Junction to Kolping ( Upstairs Line) Road and Mao Ohuabunwa Road, Umuahia . Construction of Ukoma Road, Umuahia North Umuda Isingwu erosion control, Umuahia North,Construction of St Paul’s Street Umungasi Aba Reconstruction of Osusu road Aba., Reconstruction of Omuma road Aba,Reconstruction of Uratta road Aba., Construction of Ovim-Acha road in Isuikwuato LGA.  Construction of Ogboro-Amibo-Acha road in Isuikwuato.

His Excellency, Dr Ikpeazu’s administration introduced the use of Rigid Pavement (Cement) Technology in road construction to guarantee a minimum of 30 years life span for concerned roads. Most of the roads under review were beneficiaries of this technology, with double drains to boot. It is on record that Ikpeazu’s administration commenced the  construction of the first ever Abia interchange (flyover) since the creation of the state, at Osisioma Aba.