₦airaland Forum

We regret to inform the public of a recent unfortunate incident involving a Toyota Hilux belonging to Mr. Wisdom Chidiebere Nwaubani. The vehicle, with registration number APR 725 PG and Chassis Number MROHX8CD190910506, was forcibly taken at gunpoint along the Arondizuogu-Okigwe Road.

We urgently seek the cooperation of the public in helping recover the stolen vehicle. If anyone has any useful information regarding the whereabouts of the Toyota Hilux we kindly request you to report it to the nearest police station.

Governor Alex C. Otti, A Titleholder In Profligacy

By Uche Aguoru

Going by the Q3 report published by the Abia state government on its website, one can rightly accord Governor Alex Otti the infamous title of being a title holder in profligacy, and his government the most wasteful since the creation of Abia state.

This descent into the abyss of corruption only goes to show that Otti's campaign slogan of transparency in governance is a mere swindle used to delude Abians into handing over the vaults to him for plunder.

A breakdown of the Q3 fiscal report slams the Otti government with the incontrovertible confirmation that our state is experiencing more corruption in a sophisticated format than we have ever had since 1999.

How can one explain that Mr. Otti who preached prudence and promised to cut down the cost of governance is today spending a whopping sum of N5.32BN in 3 months to service the office of the governor even as he operates from his private residence while his Ebonyi State counterpart spent N850m and Governor Mbah of Enugu state spent 3.32 billion within the same period under review?

Governor Alex Otti in his usual deceptive rhetoric told Abians that he has not been taking salaries since he became governor but the report posted on the state's official website reveals that Governor Otti has pocketed a princely sum of N2.8BN as security vote in 3 months when Governor Nwifuru of Ebonyi state has only taken 350 million Naira and his Enugu State counterpart has collected 1.1billion naira within the period under review.

Governor Otti"s security vote of 933m every month is the highest in the whole of the southeast, not even the governors of war-torn Bornu and Niger States where Boko haram terrorrists and insurgents hold sway collects so much in security votes.

The only expense line that went down is personnel cost, Governor Otti only spent 4b naira on staff salaries whereas, same period in 2022 Personnel cost was about 12billion naira

This accounts for the over 10.000 staff sacked by the Otti administration and the deduction that goes into Abia workers salaries and a large number of legitimately engaged civil servants yet to be paid since 6 months after assuming office under the guise of unending verification.

Abians can now understand why there is so much hunger and poverty in the state.


The breakdown reveals that the governor has spent on just himself and his family the sum of N8.12BN in the midst of unprecedented hunger and hardship that Abians have been subjected to since the coming of the Otti administration.

These expenditures and indeed other fiscal breakdown as contained in the state website have subheads attached to each report, it, therefore, amounts to barefaced lies to drag the Ikpeazu administration into it.

It is indeed alarming that in so short a time, an administration that rode to power on claims of prudence and transparency has broken the records in wasteful expenditure and plundering of the people's resources and it becomes even worse, irresponsible and dishonourable when a government attempts to deny its own financial record in an effort to cover up its financial recklessness.

This is in addition to the issuing of contracts without approvals from the House of Assembly, lack of due process of open bidding, as well as statutory guidelines and checks by government departments, saddled with such responsibility to forestall financial sleazes.

Is it not suspiciously shocking that under Mr Alex Otti, a supposedly renown first-class economist, our IGR has dropped from 800 million to less than 600 million monthly while our recurrent expenditure has tripled?

The media-manipulated performance claims by the Otti government can only be a product of delusions of grandeur as the reality on the street of Abia, is completely at variance with the fabricated lies and imaginary performance indices that the government is hiring media houses and skit makers to propagate, little wonder they claimed to have spent 543 million Naira in publicity within a period of three months.

Apart from the one lane added to the existing two lanes of the over-advertised less than three-kilometer Ossa\Okpara square roundabout that is being constructed at the cost of 18 billion naira, can the Otti administration name one landmark project it conceptualized, and commenced since coming into office? I stand to be challenged that 90% of the infrastructural projects listed by the Otti administration are projects Ikpeazu started and left at various stages of completion which Governor Otti is now appropriating at a highly inflated cost.

I, therefore, challenge Governor Otti to come clean and show some honour and integrity by apologizing to Abians for this financial recklessness and waste of the people's resources.

Aguoru
Writes From Umuahia

Community Youths Lock, Entrance Into Church Premises, Insist On The Sack of Presbyter

It was a huge drama Sunday morning as youths of Umuda Isingwu in Ohuhu Umuahia North LGA of Abia state locked the gate of St. James Methodist Church, thereby preventing worshippers from entering the church premises, for Sunday church service and other activities.

According to an eyewitness, the youths were protesting what they termed intimidation and highhandedness by the presbyter of the church Very Reverend Ede.

They are complaining that the presbyter has been harassing members of the church who complained of his activities and brags that nobody not even the Archbishop or the Prelate can post him out of the parish despite having stayed for 5 years which is above the stipulated tenure that a priest should stay in a parish before being posted out and that only him (Revd. Ede) will determine when to leave.

They also complained that he operates a large fish pond using the church premises and the pond is not being well managed. The odour emanating from the pond poses a heavy environmental risk to the community and anybody who dares complain, the Presbyter will brandish a pistol threatening to shoot such a person and that nothing will happen, he also uses his self-acclaimed position as the southeast president of the vigilante groups of Nigeria which he also uses to intimidate people and harass the members of the community even at very simple arguments.

When contacted by our reporter the community youth President said the continuous stay of Reverend Ede in the community poses a heavy threat to not just the church members but to every community member including the youth and elderly as he harrases and intimidates all the villagers.

" We are calling on the church leaders, knights, ministers, Archbishop, and Prelate of Methodist church Nigeria to quickly intervene and do the needful by removing the presbyter in order to rescue the church from total collapse" he concluded

Several calls placed on Reverend Ede's mobile phone by our reporter were not answered at the time of filing this report.

Dr. MIchael Enyinna, the President of FundVine Group Ltd and the Vice Presidential Candidate of the Young Progressive Party in the 2023 election was today honoured as the MODEL IN BUSINESS DIVERSIFICATION AND INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT by Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka.

Receiving the award, the astute businessman, politician, and entrepreneur spared no words in expressing his appreciation to the management of the institution for singling him out of many business gurus, to be honoured.

In his speech, the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe Prof. Charles Esimone said the award of MODEL IN BUSINESS DIVERSIFICATION AND INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT is a different brand of recognition for service, taking into consideration the Innovative and entrepreneurial strength of Dr. Enyinna in the capital market industry and how he has remained successful in the nations business environment over time, he thanked Dr Enyinna for his positive impact to the larger segment of the youth population.

He said the award seeks to empower development operators in the system to do more by creating innovations wherever they find themselves like Dr. Michael Enyinna is currently doing.

The event which was held at the ASUU Secretariat Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, in Anambra State had in attendance notable businessmen, government officials, politicians, and members of the academia including Prince Engr Arthur Eze, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, Hon. Prof. Obiageri Orogbu, Dr. Uche Nworah and a host of notable personalities.

Insecurity: South East Traditional Rulers Meet Iwuanyanwu, Call On Tinubu To Release Nnamdi Kanu


South East Traditional rulers have called on President Bola Tinubu to release the leader of the indigenous people of Biafra Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in order to curb insecurity in the region.


The Royal Fathers under the auspices of the Supreme Council of Nigeria Traditional Rulers, South East Chapter made this call last week when they paid a courtesy visit to the President General, Ohaneze Ndigbo Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu at his office in Owerri, they lamented that the continuous detention of Kanu has escalated insecurity in the southeast which has affected the regions economy in several ways and has chased away foreign and local investors.


The chairman of Supreme Council of Nigeria Traditional Rulers, South East chapter Eze Nnamdi Ofoegbu lamented that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has suffered so much in detention and urged the Ohanaeze Ndigbo President to work harder and if possible move for a political solution to enable a quick release of the IPOB leader.


He applauded Chief Iwuanyanwu for his visionary and purposeful leadership since he assumed office, the royal fathers reminded him that by virtue of his office as the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide he is the leader of the region and his opinion should be respected.


They commended Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State for the massive infrastructural development of the state and his relentless efforts in the battle against insecurity, the Royal fathers enjoined Imolites to massively vote for him in the upcoming Governorship election.


In his response, the leader of the apex socio-cultural organization Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu said the organization has advanced plans to meet with, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to canvass for the urgent need for the Federal Government to grant Mazi Nnamdi Kanu freedom, he expressed gratitude for the visit and thanked the Royal fathers for their patriotism, he however expressed regret that other ethnic groups in Nigeria have sold the dummy of perceived secession of the Igbo ethnic group to the Federal Government, thus creating undue fear and suspicion of every intention of the group before the Federal Government.


Chief Iwuanyanwu stated that statistics have shown that Igbos are the real critical stakeholders in the Nigerian project as they own over 60% of the investments across the country while their investments and properties are spread all over the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, unlike other ethnic groups whose investments are sited just within their region.


In his words “your request and solidarity visit have reinvigorated my leaderships intention to see the President on issues concerning the Igbos, more especially the need to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. whose continued detention is escalating insecurity in South East"

” Let us see any person or group that will be instigating insecurity or crisis in Igboland using his name when he is eventually released?

“Some people and groups are illegally feasting on his popularity and detention just to cause unnecessary trouble and problems in the entire South East and for their own selfish interest"

“There must be peace and stability in Igboland and I believe the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will definitely restore sanity and unravel a lot for the benefit of the nation"


Chief Iwuanyanwu further informed that since his emergence as the President of Ohaneze, he has instituted the organization in all the continents of the world including America, Europe, Asia, and South Africa noting that over 6,000 000 Igbos are living in diaspora.


Earlier, the Chief Host of the delegation, HRH Eze Dr. Oliver Ohanwe, the traditional ruler of Isiama ancient kingdom in Isiala-Mbano LGA of Imo State said the essence of the visit is to form a partnership with the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo in the execution of their mission and vision which he insists must be for the overall interests of the Igbo race.


Ohanwe eulogized Chief Iwuanyanwu, describing him as a 5 Star General while commending him also for being a stabilizing factor among the South East Governor’s and other critical stakeholders and leaders of the region.


He canvassed his organization’s foremost desire of advocating for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as a strategic means of arresting insecurity in the region and the need to have a harmonious cultural identity among the ethnic nationalities.


The foremost Royal Father further disclosed their plan to meet with President Tinubu and some eminent Nigerians concerning the continual marginalization of the Igbos and the need to readdress the injustices especially as it bothers on the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu despite the courts ordering for his release and commended the South East Governors for their patriotic desires to revamp the region’s socioeconomic activities as well as their untiring efforts in repositioning the zone for sustainable development.


In his own speech, HRM Eze Dr. Douglas Okwara, the Okwarachukwu IV of Umuna ancient kingdom made a case for the promotion of Igbo culture and tradition and pleaded with Chief Iwuanyanwu to carry the Supreme Council of Nigeria Traditional Rulers and traditional institutions along in his leadership agenda in order to achieve an inclusive leadership and sustainable progress of the region.



Royal Fathers present include the Leader of the Supreme Council of Nigeria Traditional Rulers, South East Chapter HRK Eze Iheanyichukwu Nwokenna, The Oba of Ekeoba Kingdom and leader of the Abia chapter of Supreme Council of Nigeria Traditional Rulers, HRM Eze A.I. Ezeigbo- Ochima, HRM Eze G.N . Asomugha, HRH Eze G.N. Ejiogu (Eze Kara) and HRH Eze E.L. Ukaegbu (KSC)

WHY ALEX OTTI IS MISERABLE.

Part One.

By Eze Chikamnayo.

On Friday, the 6th day of October 2023, the reconstituted Governorship Tribunal that oscillated between Government House - Hotel Damgrette and the Court delivered its very predictable and widely considered "Perverse " Verdict in favour of their host, Mr. Alex Otti.
Abians ignored them as they didn't disappoint those who were convinced abinitio that their stay in Umuahia was a mere rehearsal.
Now, that we are happily done with that unfortunate episode, let's quickly examine some of the real issues brought before the Tribunal which can neither be swept away nor sacrilegiously sacrificed in the altar of brickmanship.

First, it is not the intendment of the Law that the Law should give with one hand and also take away with the other hand.
The Electoral Act clearly provided for Witnesses to be Subpoenaed and those witnesses can only be Subpoenaed during the course of the Tribunal Trial, that's after the petitioner has filled his petition.

The Law did not contemplate and could not have contemplated a situation whereby witnesses of the adverse Party would willingly depose to Statements of Oath for Petitioners - to have enabled them to file same along with their Petition at the time of filing.

The above absurd and impossible scenario is what the Trial Tribunal held in their curious Judgement which is clearly to every discerning legal mind an irrefutable error.

Ordinarily, once the final result of an Election is declared, a Party has just 21 days from the time of the declaration of Results to file his Petition.

The question which the Tribunal failed to answer is whether a Petitioner can get a Tribunal which hasn't started sitting to issue a Subpoena on an adverse witness or Party to compel such witness to make depositions for frontloading?

For instance, in the Abia Gubernatorial Elections case , INEC is the 1st Respondent in the Petition. There's therefore no way PDP or Chief Ahiwe would have gotten the Tribunal to issue a Subpoena to get INEC to depose, sign and do all the administrative routine of the Supeonea and hand it over to PDP to enable them to file ( all within 21 days) when the Tribunal is yet to start sitting. That is not possible.

The Tribunal Judges very well know that a Subpoena is a document used to COMPEL witnesses to come to Court- whether recalcitrant witnesses or those who refuse to come UNLESS COMPELLED BY LAW.

The PDP and Chief Ahiwe took advantage of this provision of the Law and brought the INEC Witnesses to Court, yet the Court unexplainably ruled that such witnesses should have been brought to depose at the time of filling!

By the wrongful exclusion of the official witnesses who came on Subpoena, the Tribunal willfully denied itself the benefit of their evidence both documentary and oral and in so doing, the Petitioners were denied the benefits accruable from those evidence which inadvertently has evidently occasioned a glaring miscarriage of Justice for which there should be an Appeal.

Sadly, it is for such perplexing ground above that those who believe that tremendous amount of water has passed under the bridge in this Otti matter are predicating their position. This is a very sad story for the Judiciary.

Another area of Interest is what transpired regarding the Kano Judgement which co-incidentally was put in evidence by Alex Otti and the Labour Party as Respondents - they were the ones that initiated that particular angle.

As we speak, there is in existence, a Judgement in rem and in personna and subsisting to the effect that Candidates of Labour Party were disqualified and that they had none for the Elections.

Mr. Alex Otti as shown by him as the Second Respondent interestingly made efforts to Appeal against the Kano Judgement in order to be hurriedly sworn in as Governor.

But that particular Appeal is no longer subsisting by virtue of the operation of the Constitution and that leaves us only with the Judgement of the Federal High Court Kano.

Invariably, the fact is that before the Law, Mr Alex Otti was not even a Candidate during the Gubernatorial Elections for Abia State held on the 18th of March.

That is the irrefutable effect of the subsisting Judgement of the Federal High Court Kano which remains and will continue to remain subsisting since the Constitutional window created for its Appeal has forever elapsed.

In their decision, the Abia Gubernatorial Elections Tribunal again apparently glossed over the grave implication of the Kano Judgement whereas they are supposed to have given effect to that Judgement which is subsisting. Moreso since that is the cardinal ground in contention which is that Mr Alex Otti was at the time of the Elections not qualified.

Remember that the said the particular matter that resulted in the Judgement of the Federal High Court Kano was initiated even before the election, so it is a pre- election matter; already pending at the time.

The Tribunal ought to have correctly given effect to that subsisting Judgement against which there is not and can never be an Appeal again because constitutionally the time allowed for any Appeal on the matter has expired.

Thirdly, The Electoral Act provided for declaration of Results at different levels, that is wherever that level of Election or Collation took place.
If Election takes place in the Unit, it MUST be DECLARED there. Then the result must be taken to the Ward Collation Center, and it MUST be Collated there. Thereafter, the Collated Ward Results must be taken to the LGA Collation Center where they will again be Collated and also ANNOUNCED and DECLARED.

In the case of Obingwa Local Government, when the results which has duly passed through the Unit, Ward and LGA Collation Stages, were now brought to the final / State Collation Center at Umuahia , the cantankerous Returning Officer, one Mrs Nnenna Otti, for reasons best known to her, contrary to the provisions of the Law decided that she wasn't going to use the results ALREADY DECLARED AND ANNOUNCED IN OBINGWA LGA in the final Collation at the State Level.

She then brazenly took away the Results to Abuja to be "RECOLLATED" ostensibly because she's not comfortable with the outcome.
This illegal, hide and seek moves she did without notice to the political Parties again contrary to the clear Provisions of the Electoral Act and INEC Guidelines which makes it mandatory for the Agents to witness what is happening.

After this strange "RE - COLLATION EXPEDITION" in faraway Abuja, surprisingly no Agent of any Political Party witnessed or signed the new "Abuja Results " Nnenna Otti and her cohorts concocted and brought back after a whole three days!

In a very condescending manner, unscrupulous Mrs Nnenna Otti, the obviously biased Returning Officer, came back and used the strange Results to announce final scores thereby ROBBING THE PDP OF THEIR ADVANTAGE ACCRUING FROM THEIR KNOWN STRONGHOLD AND DENYING THEM LAWFUL VOTES already Collated at all levels.

And that again, is one of the major reasons why the Petitioners , Chief Ahiwe and the PDP complained that there was substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the Law and then that the Alex Otti and Labour Party did not win by majority of the votes cast.

In deciding this issue, the Tribunal drew an instant explosion of noise and uproar in the Court Room from even Journalists, when they magically held that the Petitioners didn't prove that the Obingwa LGA Results results were taken to Abuja - A FACT OF PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE WHICH THE RESPONDENTS ALREADY ADMITTED TO IN THEIR OWN DEPOSITION EVEN VIA THEIR STAR WITNESS AND WHICH WAS REPORTED IN VERY MAJOR MEDIA OUTLETS ACROSS THE GLOBE!

Such glaring, "overzealous", miscarriage of Justice in a FACT that would have entirely altered the outcome of the Trial is another fundamental flaw.

With utmost respect to the Tribunal, this very perplexing finding made by them on the issue of the manipulation and exclusion of LAWFUL VOTES already Collated from Obingwa LGA is to say the least, untenable.

Cases in the Tribunal are fought principally on pleadings and the Petitioners ( Ahiwe/PDP) pleaded that the Obingwa Results was Collated, Declared and Announced at the LGA Collation Center at Obingwa and that when it was brought to Umuahia, the State Returning Officer, the reckless and incompetent Mrs Nnenna Otti suspended Collation and took the Results to Abuja for doctoring.

Interestingly, at the Tribunal, both the Labour Party and Alex Otti admitted that they did go to Abuja with the Collated Obingwa LGA Results.
Infact, Mrs. Nnenna Otti had a deposition prepared for her attached to the reply of the Respondents wherein she gave graphic details of what made her take the already Collated Obingwa LGA Results to Abuja for alteration.

So, the question of whether the Obingwa Results were taken to Abuja is not in dispute and it need not be proved any longer because in Law, A FACT THAT IS ADMITTED NEED NOT BE PROVED!

So, for the Tribunal to turn round and hold that the Petitioners did not prove that the Obingwa Results were taken to Abuja is like a huge joke; the 8th wonder of this world and a travesty which has occasioned a gross miscarriage of Justice in this case.

As always, Alex Otti is miserably daft and ignorant. His petty reactions to what some people have since described as "prepared" and "prepaid" is pathetic.

After the widely rejected Judgement, he danced naked in the streets taunting his opponents to the divert monies they intend to spend on appeals for building roads in their villages.

Yet, it is this same diminutive Alex Otti who after the 2015 Gubernatorial Elections went all the way up to the Supreme Court three good times and criss - crossed all other available Courts in Nigeria in his futile attempt to truncate the Electoral mandate of his Predecessor.

By hastily mocking the APC and PDP after this very controversial and curious Judgement, he is nonsensically gloating in futility over nothing.
An election Tribunal lacks the power to ignore or set aside the decision of the Federal High Court. Also, For you to subpoena a witness, you must situate the witness within a petition. INEC cannot claim that they monitored Abia Labour Congress when in actual fact , there was no Congress to be monitored

These and many other grounds which are still available for legal scrutiny at the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court is the reason why the premature gyrations of Alex Otti is a sign of deliberate amnesia.

Judgements are not supposed to be transactional. However, it's unfortunate that certain judicial pronouncements which often collapse when subjected to dispassionate legal scrutiny have become common place in our clime.

Unexplainable, politically motivated judgements dent the Judiciary and whenever the dispensation of Justice is colored by pecuniary interests, it certainly spells doom not just for our hallowed Judiciary but for the entire society.

...to be continued.

Eze Chikamnayo
8/10/23

Owaza Seaport Project: Taking The Game Of Deceit To An International Height


By Uche Aguoru


Governor Otti should know that the mind of every Abian is not malnourished to the point that we should all start cheering most of his highfalutin speeches meant for media razzle-dazzle

Having carefully studied Governor Otti's actions and speeches, I have identified so many gaffes that suggest that my governor is not in touch with the environment he governs, thereby making those who describe him as an helicopter politician sound correct

I listened carefully to the speech made by the Abia governor at the South East Economic and Security Summit In Owerri, As beautiful as the speech sounded, I was embarrassed that my Governor is yet to know that there is no DEEP SEA at Owaza in Ukwa West LGA and that what we have in OWAZA can best be described as an ESTUARY which cannot carry a seaport.

Governor Alex Otti who contested the Governorship of Abia state three times before succeeding at his third attempt is expected to have toured round the state on each of those occasions and should have had a fair knowledge of every important landmark in the 17 local governments of the state.

What happened yesterday at the summit in Owerri simply gives endorsement to the name "Helicopter Politician"

While I welcome every idea or policy that will bring development to the state, your address at the Southeast summit which part of it states that your administration is proposing to site a seaport within the Owaza industrial cluster, and the state is set to perform the flag off tomorrow Saturday 31st of September 2023.

Sir, unless it is by way of your administrations' usual mad hunt for media validation and attention or poor understanding of the Owaza zone in Ukwa West, there is no way you can site a seaport at Owaza knowing that the relevant factors that are directly related to the siting of a project of that nature such as adequate depth, shelter from waves and sea currents, good logistic access, etc are not present. the estuary in Owaza cannot carry barges and the closest to a stagnant river is at Odagwa in Eche LGA of Rivers State.

The closest Abia state has to siting a seaport will be in Azumini River in Ukwa East which was also pointed out at the same summit by the President of Ohanaze Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu who stated that already they are working on realizing that vision of having the Azumini seaport.

What can be more embarrassing than this, that someone from a neigbouring state is now showing a governor the potential present in his local environment?

Does it mean that Governor Otti is rushing to waste Abia's money on flagging off a project that was not subjected to a thorough process of identifying the potential of such investments?

What about the Enyimba economic city an ongoing project that that has passed through all the requirements and now enjoys the buy-in of investors which includes EPZ status and 20% equity by the federal government of Nigeria?

Is this not a confirmation that Dr. Otti is deliberately playing politics with something as serious as a seaport in the Southeast or is it confirming what we have always known that Dr Alex Otti does not really know the state he is administering?

While it is not practicable to site a seaport at Owaza, if Governor Otti goes ahead to flag off the seaport in Owaza tomorrow then know it that this administration have taken the game of deceit to international height.

Aguoru
Writes From Umuahia

In a congratulatory message to Rt. Hon. Barr. Elechi, the CEO of Ricklux Paints International West Africa, Chief Richard Nwankwo described the appointment as well-deserved and urged him to use his wealth of experience in public administration towards developing the nation just like he did in all the places he has served in Abia state.

"It is with a great sense of pride and admiration that I, Chief Richard Nwankwo on behalf of the management and staff of Ricklux Paints International West Africa extend my warmest congratulations to you Rt. Hon. Barr. Chinedum Elechi on your well-deserved appointment as Secretary of Economic Planning, Revenue Generation, and Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

Your appointment is truly a testament to your exceptional leadership qualities and long-standing track record in public administration.

I trust that you will continue to work for the improvement, growth, and development of the nation just like you did in all the places you have served in Abia state."
Congratulations boss as you move to the national stage, we expect nothing but the best.

Chief Richard Nwanko
CEO Ricklux Paints International West Africa

100 Days In Office: Otti Dragging Abia Into Multi-Dimensional Poverty

By Uche Aguoru

Ordinarily, Mr Alex Otti who got into office as governor and chief security officer of Abia state on the 29th of May 2023 will have been in office for 100 days, a lifelong ambition which Mr Otti pursued for 8 years and only succeeded in his 3rd attempt.

My concern here is not the length of time, the notion of 100 days in office, or even how much has been achieved or what has been gained and lost.

I am only assessing Otti's government on the strength of his background as an economist and ex-banker, his highfalutin promises to Abians in all these years he has begged for an opportunity, his promises of economic prosperity way above what was experienced by the previous administrations, his overall performance within the period he has governed, and public expectations.

And sadly I have to announce to Abians that the honeymoon they erroneously threw themselves into on the 29th of May 2023 is anything but over and gone.

The foundation of any serious administration should have been laid within the period of the first 100 days in office, which includes moving into office, appointment of key officers, and giving policy blueprints on general administration, health, education, works, housing, agriculture, and especially economy, amongst others.

As of today, the only component that Gov. Otti brought on board is the notion of probing/ recovery of misappropriated public funds and assets which was warmly welcomed by every well-meaning Abian including yours sincerely but sadly the probe from conception lacks genuine sincerity of purpose, a product of a witch hunt only targeted at perceived political enemies, and it has led the administration into making avoidable mistakes of sealing peoples legally acquired estates for lack of proper investigation.

The Otti administration has no known policy direction across all sectors, it is still in a trial-and-error approach and has only succeeded in the blame game, bitterness, vendetta, and witch-hunting without a defined developmental roadmap and sadly some experienced senior civil servants that would have guided his government properly were illegally disengaged and today a deputy director is now heading a civil service where we have Permanent secretaries

ROADS CONSTRUCTION: Despite receiving over 60 billion Naira from the federal government in less than 3 months, the Otti administration has yet to show any remarkable effort, the only road construction the Otti administration has so far undertaken is the completion of a few internal roads initiated by the Ikpeazu administration and left at different stages of completion before the coming of the Otti administration, the only original road project so far conceived by the Otti government is the 6 lanes less than one and a half kilometer OSSA to Okpara square, a road that attracts no economic value which the state government said it will expend a record sum of over 15 billion Naira on.

ECONOMY: A few months before the coming of the Otti administration the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, the Nigerian government's foremost rating agency conducted its periodic surveys to determine the level of growth, development, decline, and other variables across the board and from many angles and statics released in its 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index, MPI which was conducted across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT based on four key sectoral indices namely; education, health, security, and standard of living across 15 indicators: namely nutrition, food security, time to health, school attendance, years of schooling, school lag, water, water reliability and sanitation, housing materials, cooking fuel, assets, unemployment, underemployed and security shocks.

The summary shows that Abia State was one of the best five States in the federation after Lagos and Ogun States and the best in the Southeast, The survey which is usually conducted using data from the World Bank, was done during the terminal days of the last administration, the NBS and the federal government relied on clinically sourced data and reliable statistics based on verifiable indices thereby making their releases authentic and faultless. and today the once robust economically viable state of Abia just a few months ago before the coming of the Otti administration has become the headquarters of hunger in the federation and is now ranked amongst the poorest states because of the massive sacking of legitimately engaged civil servants thereby swelling the already high number of unemployed people in the state, lack of functional local government administration has completely demobilized effects of economic activities of government at the grassroots, unstable or outright lack of clear economic policy direction that has brought government business in ministries, departments, and agencies to a dangerous standstill, non-payment of workers' salaries, especially in local governments, departments and agencies of government, geometric rise in insecurity which has brought the activities of SME,s to an all-time dangerous low never experienced in Abia.

As of today, the effects of poor governance can be seen and felt on many fronts but the most and easily identifiable is the reinforcement of poverty, needless to remind us that it has hindered economic growth and may lead to ruin if aggressive economic and human-faced measures are not immediately put in place.

TRANSPARENCY: One area the Otti administration campaigned seriously, is on transparency, Mr. Otti while begging for an opportunity told Abians that he would run a transparent administration and reduce the cost of governance, Going by his promises Abians expected more from Otti in the area of transparency, and reduction in the cost of governance but shockingly Abians have been kept in the dark and are unaware of how much that has accrued to the State as there seems to be a formal policy of secrecy in the states finances, the procurement process is done in secret and contracts are awarded without due process, today the Governor is the procurement and transport officer and recently he openly confirmed to the world how he personally made efforts to procure Innoson vehicles neglecting due process, the governor has not also told Abians what he has been using the JAAC funds which the FG releases monthly for the running of the local government administration since there is no Local Government Administration in Abia either the elected or the Transitional Committee in place.

It is public knowledge that Governor Otti comes to work from Abuja and on each trip, he parks a private jet at the Owerri airport and heads to his Umuehim Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South home where he holds meetings including State Executive Council Meetings, each of the trips allegedly costs Abia an average of 18 million Naira and this frequentative trip which is repeated 3 days in a week is a clear case of squandering taxpayers’ resources on his ostentatious lifestyle that is gulping billions of naira amidst grave concerns of widespread poverty and insecurity in the state.

SECURITY: A survey carried out by Global Rights, an international human rights organization, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) analyzed by The Cable Index, the data and research arm of The Cable on the death rate resulting from violent crimes in Nigeria in the last three years (2020, 2021 and 2022), placed Abia as the least affected in terms of violent crimes.

The survey recorded a total of 1,178 deaths in the southeast due to violent crimes within the period in review (2020, 2021, and 2022) with Abia recording just 72, Imo – 183, Ebonyi – 391, Enugu – 215, and Anambra – 317. This record is just a testament to the premium the Ikpeazu administration placed on the security of the lives and properties of Abians, The Ikpeazu administration received various local and international accolades for its efforts in securing Abia and Abians but sadly today Abians are dying in their numbers and many are being kidnapped on a daily basis and the Otti administration, seem not to care or are at a loss on how to tackle insecurity despite the promises to secure and protect the lives and properties of Abians but like payment of salaries/pensions, waste management, Julius Berger and other promises, the security of Abians has been left to fate and in the hands of God and I am sure if the survey is conducted using current statistics Abia will be topping the list of the least secured states in the southeast because of the astronomical surge in kidnapping, armed robbery, Unknown gunmen, Snatching of Vehicles, burglary, and destruction of innocent lives and properties.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION: With a hundred days gone In Mr. Alex Otti's Administration there is no local government administration in place in Abia state, This very important tier of government which is saddled with the role of bringing the government nearer to the people and allows for popular participation in politics by reducing the centralization of power in the center, provides an organized system where councils exercise their power and responsibilities and manages the affairs of a locality through planning, organizing, staffing, controlling, coordinating, and budgeting in different Local governments is no longer active only in Abia out of the 36 states of the federation including the FCT, federal allocations due to the LG,s are not being accounted for and the local government workers are not being paid, it is alleged that Gov. seized the seals of the 17 LGAs. and I dare ask Mr. Governor where is the money meant for the development and running of the 17 LGAs?

THE LEGISLATURE: It is not enough that Governor Otti not only suppressed the standing rules of the house, but he also went ahead to intimidate the members and personally ensured that the minority LP took the leadership of the House. He further desecrated the global order of the legislature by installing someone from the minority LP of 10 members in a PDP dominated house as the majority leader an arithmetics that scholars are still battling to solve and today the vibrancy that is usually seen in the Abia State House of Assembly is dead and my Governor has succeeded in making the 8th Assembly a rubber-stamp legislature where he remotes their activities from the comfort of his bedroom.

CIVIL SERVICE: The civil service also received its own share of destruction from the Otti administration, the Ikpeazu administration initiated and pursued civil service reform through the introduction of biometric accreditation which was aimed at ensuring discipline and productivity in the civil service but with a human face and in total reverence to the rules governing the civil service knowing that it is an essential organ of the executive arm of government while agreeing that further reforms are still needed, the introduction of draconian measures and total disregard to laws guiding the civil service has further exposed the inexperience of Mr. Alex Otti in public administration, though many are of the opinion that it was as a result of the bitterness and mindset of vengeance with which Mr. Otti came into power with.

The Otti administration has completely demonstrated total disregard for the extant rules of the civil service by the mindless sacking of thousands of Abians legitimately engaged in the civil service, forcefully suspending Permanent Secretaries without establishing any infractions, queries, or recommendations by a disciplinary committee and till date no official communication or letters issued to that effect, he also violated the public service ethics by appointing a Deputy Director as Head of Service in a system that has serving Permanent Secretaries and Directors and what we operate in Abia today is an inappropriate organizational structure. where a PermSec will now take instructions from a Deputy Director and the resultant effect has been unproductive work operations, lack of competent leadership, etc.

Not surprisingly though, policy inconsistency, lack of direction, and profligacy have defined the Alex Otti administration. the governor has built around himself a strong individual whose subjects, personal aides, and every government functionary are afraid to approach and has deliberately succeeded in rendering every institution of government weak and in most cases non functional.

Let me conclude by honestly saying that Governor Otti's first 100 days in office have indeed betrayed his ill-preparedness, incompetence, and ineptitude, for an office he has spent his entire life running for and regrettably the honeymoon that Abians threw themselves into has ended in a sour taste.

May Abia Succeed

Aguoru
Writes From Umuahia

There was uproar in Abia State, yesterday, as the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice-Designate, Chief Lateef Fagbemi, appeared at the Abia State Election Petition Tribunal holden in Umuahia the Abia State capital.

He is the lead counsel to Mr Alex Otti in the case brought by PDP’s Chief Okey Ahiwe challenging the declaration of Mr Alex Otti as winner of the March 18 2023 governorship election in the state.

Although Mr Fagbemi did not announce his appearance, his presence in court and his sitting with Mr Alex Otti’s lawyers was interpreted by some lawyers present as a needless attempt to intimidate members of the tribunal.

“After being nominated by the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, screened, cleared and confirmed by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to serve as a Federal Minister, and having been assigned the portfolio of Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, one thought that Chief Lateef Fagbemi ought to know that he can no longer appear in court for private cases in which he has interests like that of Mr Otti,” one of the lawyers present quipped.

Another lawyer wondered why lawmakers appointed as ministers by President Bola Tinubu had to quit their former roles to attend Senate screening and focus on the job ahead but Fagbemi chose to cling to a private matter he was handling in court thereby casting doubts already about his impartiality as Minister of Justice if not just to intimidate members of the tribunal.”

In their own reaction through a statement signed by its Convener, Ukachukwu Chinonso and the Secretary-General, Mrs. Maria Nwokoma, and made available to the media in Umuahia, the Abia Renaissance Movement, ARM, said, “Having accepted public service, we wonder why Mr Fagbemi should still concern himself with private matters.

“It is obvious that since Mr Alex Otti sensed that the plethora and quality of evidence against him at the tribunal were too weighty, he has resorted to doing everything possible to intimidate the judiciary, armtwist witnesses and misrepresent INEC.

“We urge members of the panel to remain forthright and neither be swayed nor intimidated by an appointee when they enjoy the full support and protection of the Nigerian Judicial Council, NJC, which is the only Body they are answerable to in the discharge of their duties.

“We call on Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to call Mr Lateef Fagbemi to order and not allow him bring opprobrium to the administration that is still trying its best to solve the myriads of problems afflicting the nation”, the statement noted.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/sunnewsonline.com/abia-uproar-as-minister-of-justice-designate-fagbemi-appears-in-court/%3famp

I don't think it's a very big issue that my Governor Mr. Alex Otti purchased second-hand Hilux Vans abandoning the INNOSON BRAND which he told us was the only request Peter Obi made of him, after all, he has the Bullet Proof Version purchased from INNOSON and two other bullet Proof Ford brands procured with taxpayers money as his official vehicles while the rest of us are covered with the blood of Jesus and handed over to God for protection.

While I honestly pray for Mr. Alex Otti's government to succeed in all sectors, sadly the current security situation in Abia today is scary, and against his campaign harangues, Gov. Otti made adequate security and economic growth his campaign slogan but going by what we see and are experiencing today I seriously doubt his preparedness and sincerity in tackling issues of security, economy and other critical aspects of governance, Gov. Otti obviously lacks leadership acumen, he is confused, unprepared, directionless and appears to be living in the past as it concerns issues of security.

The launching of OPERATION CRUSH by the Otti administration proves that Mr. Otti is simply after media glitz and Braggadocio and not anywhere committed to curing the challenges of insecurity which has continued to geometrically rise by the hour since he assumed office as the governor of the once most peaceful and secured state.
The setting up of OPERATION CRUSH to me is a security misstep that cannot yield a desirable result as history has shown that such a security outfit will only expose Abians to extortion, victimization, and intimidation by those supposedly commissioned to protect them.

Security challenges in Abia and anywhere in Nigeria have never been solved by the deployment of stern and fearful-looking machine gun-wielding men sitting on the tailboard of tokunbo pickup vans, even in the Boko haram ravaged northeast, the little results being recorded there did not come solely through kinetic engagements but through alternative security option known as Civilian JTF.

Going a little down history lane, during the terror reign of the dreaded Osisikankwu the then Governor TA Orji (Ochendo) used the homegrown security option by deploying local intelligence to combat and neutralize Osisikankwu and his gang of terrorists, and that restored peace and security in the state.

Your predecessor Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, whether you chose to accept it or not had the most decorated security achievements in entire southeastern Nigeria not by employing stern-looking security men who will be harassing, intimidating, and extorting Abians unnecessarily but by the use of local intelligence and homegrown approach devoid of media hype or the launch of an ineffectual security operation that will end up being used by landlords to intimidate tenants and agents of governments using it to oppress targeted opposition.

Without sounding ambiguous, the criminality and activities of kidnappers, car thieves, armed robbers, etc. were emboldened by the lack of willpower, directionlessness, ineptitude, and unpreparedness of the Otti administration, and the present measure being put in place is only for the optics and bragging rights and can hardly achieve the desired effects needed to restore the strong security you inherited.

Mr. Governor Sir, please demonstrate a real sense of responsibility to the duties of your office in the interests of vulnerable Abians who are daily falling victim to the series of violent crimes currently on the rise in our dear state by applying a tactical, non-kinetic homegrown approach in tackling insecurity, the present arrangement lacks the capacity to effectively tackle issues of insecurity but can only achieve braggadocio, extortion, and harassment of innocent Abians.

The security and economic situation in our state under your watch is not normal and exceptional steps need to be taken to restore it to normalcy.

Mr. Governor sir, please come down from the private jet, come back to Abia sit up and tackle these challenges time is ticking, and Abians are waiting.

Uche Aguoru

A Current Affairs Analyst Writes From Umuahia

It was a fun-filled event at the 2023 prize-giving and graduation ceremony of Mercy International Academy, Trans Ekulu Enugu, as the pupils elegantly dressed in their school uniforms entertained the guests and parents that came to witness the event.

The colourful event brought together teachers, parents, friends, and well-wishers of the school, to celebrate the commitment, high moral standards, and educational achievements of pupils during the academic year.

The chairman of the event Prince Ejike Eya commended the proprietor and teachers for the excellent brilliance exhibited by the pupils and also praised the high moral standards that the school impacted on the pupils, he admonished parents not to entrust the training of their wards only in the hands of the teachers but also take interest in the education of their children by assisting them in their school works at home, stating that the quality of education at Mercy International Academy was as a result of the dedication, passion and hard work on the part of the teachers, Prince Eya also made a cash donation to support the school.

The Co-Chairman Pharmacist Edison Iwundu in his own speech acknowledged the exceptional brilliance of the pupils and attributed it to the quality of the teaching and dedication of the teachers and management of the school whose mission is to deliver a life-changing education and prepare them for higher school challenges
The best graduating primary six pupil at Mercy International Academy was awarded a scholarship by Pharmacist Edison Iwundu on behalf of Edison Iwundu Foundation, while other graduands received different gift items from the proprietor of the school ranging from educational materials to home utensils.

In her speech, The Head Teacher of Mercy International Academy Mrs. Chinyere Okeke ascribed the successes that the school had recorded since it came into existence to the quality of teaching they give to the pupils, "In this school, we impart not just academic education, but with discipline and fear of God" and stated that in Mercy International Academy we transform pupils to become better academically, socially and otherwise, Mrs Okeke announced that the school has a well equipped library stocked with international and local educational books and a computer room where pupils are exposed to the computer right from the nursery school.

Some of the parents interviewed confessed that their children have been significantly transformed, with evidence based academic and moral improvement.

The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of gifts and awards, word recitation, debate sessions, drama and cultural display, dance competition, poems presentation, news broadcast, and various other activities.

Governor Otti Scheming For a Shortcut To Legitimize The Sack Of Innocent Civil Servants

By Uche Aguoru

Since the inception of the Alex Otti administration, Abia State has been in the news for the wrong reasons, starting from denial of campaign promises, sacking of top civil servants without regard to legal procedure, award of contracts without due process, House of Assembly crisis, victimization of the opposition, allegations of agents of government fraudulently collecting bribes from people to make them union executives and most recently sacking of over 7000 civil servants.

With the public now questioning and asking for details of the so called 2,300 ghost workers that Alex Otti's government claimed to have discovered

It is now obvious that Governor Otti is scheming for a shortcut to legitimize the sack of innocent civil servants using a nonfunctional and uncompleted staff verification portal.

It is unfortunate that the state Government has in its usual character of inflicting hardship and pains on innocent Abians devised a means of denying so many civil servants access to completing the online staff verification portal which they created and made a criterion for gaining access to the physical exercise.

Civil servants now run from one Cyber cafe to another spending most of their monthly income looking for how to fill the nonfunctional online form.

Gov. Otti through his consultant imported a platform that does not conform with the Abia civil service functional template and from our investigations the platform may have been copied from a private establishment.

When did the State Governor, Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, and other political appointees become Caders in the Abia civil service template?
Why will Gov. Otti, intentionally omit so many civil service caders and designations in their various fields and replace them with non-existent caders all in an effort to discredit some bonafide civil servants and label them ghost workers just because of their perceived political leaning?

As of this moment, the deadline for the completion of the form and obtaining the printout remains tomorrow 21/07/2023, no extension has been granted, the fact remains that so many civil servants will be unable to complete the form even after spending a reasonable percentage of their monthly salaries on cybercafes because of the non-functionality of the portal giving the Otti administration the excuse to label some legitimate civil servants, "ghost workers"

On the sack of workers employed between January to May, It is an act of wickedness for a government that promised Abians so much and even went on different national television stations to deny the allegations stating that rather than sack workers he will create employment but today Dr Alex Otti has proven that any politician who makes lying and propaganda a political tool finds it very difficult to adjust even when he gets into power, a case study is the Buhari government and most recently The Alex Otti administration in Abia State.

Aguoru
Writes From Umuahia

On the Nmesoma vs JAMB saga, I have trained myself to see issues dispassionately no matter the sentimental push, I try to go for balance in every issue.

Folks are now playing Tribal cards and directly accusing the examination body of ethnic bias against the little girl, not minding that from JAMB,s official record the overall best is from Anambra state.

Nmesoma's father Mr Ejikeme, said, JAMB is envious of her daughter and wants to run her down

I have repeatedly listened to the smart, intelligent, 19 year old Nmesoma Ejikeme and I have also been patient enough to listen to JAMB,s side of the story.

Nmesoma said she got the printout from the JAMB portal, but JAMB is insisting that the smart and brilliant Nmesoma who claimed to have scored 362 as her aggregate has questions to answer as to how she arrived at the result she is parading that won her Innosons 3 million Naira scholarship.

The Wahala be say, JAMB said in their records no candidate scored 362, so what happened?

The DSS got involved but unfortunately they don't owe us public explanation as to what their findings are and I see a nexus between the 3 years ban on Nmesoma and the DSS findings.

Let me digress, my son is 14 and he is IT proficient and to my amazement the guy knows so much about the Internet and how to manipulate it using online apps that I don't even know exist,

I will encourage guys to always go close to their children, be their friend and search them out once in a while you will be amazed at how much knowledge of the internet they possess and how they can manipulate it to achieve whatever they want.

But Nmesoma said she lacks the capacity for such manipulation "I AGREE" after all she is Igbo, and nwa chineke


But JAMB is insisting that no body scored that much in their records, and that Nmesoma's aggregate was 269, I also believe them after all they are the only body with the sole authority to mark exam scripts and award aggregates

Its natural for us to blame JAMB because of the minor blips that usually occur in their centers and Result portals but from the verifications that has been conducted using the QR code, the name on the result Nmesoma is parading belongs to Asimiyu Mariam Omobolanle", and she sat for the UTME in 2021 scoring 138. JAMB claimed the printout she is displaying was outdated in 2021 and that there are many Fake JAMB Result Apps in different play stores.

JAMB had also released her actual UTME RESULT Slip that has her photograph and the score was 269


Yes, JAMB rigged Nmesoma's result because she is an Igbo girl and biafra wants to secede, oh, I forgot she is of the same tribe with Peter Obi?

Why cant we pause for a second and ask ourselves what JAMB will want to achieve by denying her of her correct scores?

I believe we will do better if we begin to take on issues strictly on its worth and not based on sentiments and biases....

Uche Aguoru

A group comprising of supporters of Labour Party in Abia State has called on Governor Alex Chioma Otti OFR to quickly caution his Special Adviser on Health Care Service Delivery, Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo before she destroys the rudimentary of the civil service.

In a letter signed by Emeka Ikechukwu Iroha and made available toThe News Gazette Online, the Concerned Abia State Labour Party Supporters, accused Otti’s SA on Health of acting against the laid down principles of the civil service which if not corrected will embarrass the government.

The group made it clear that Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo lacks the power to order the Director of Nursing Service (DNS) Abia State Mrs. Dorothy Nwosu to step down.

“A commissioner cannot take a unilateral decision to remove a Director of Nursing Service (DNS) or even Principals of Nursing and Midwifery institutions in the Abia State Civil Service. And so, if a commissioner cannot, then a Special Adviser cannot even think about it.”

READ FULL LETTER BELOW:

THE NEED TO CALL DR NGOZI OKORONKWO TO ORDER

In as much as we all desire to get things done properly in Abia State, it is equally necessary that all processes to be applied in trying to get things properly done should be proper.

With the experience of what transpired as regards the market management committees, and the need to avoid a repeat of that kind of scenario, all Special Advisers to the governor have to be circumspect and think decisions through before stamping them.

We cannot in a bid of trying to correct things, trash out good eggs and replace them with bad eggs.

At the moment, tension is building in the health sector in Abia State where the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health Care Service Delivery, Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo is naively taking the wrong steps which will in turn paint the popular Governor Alex Chioma Otti’s government in bad light.

The civil service is structural, and no matter how smart you are in the private sector you will need some time or a good guide to help you understand the process to avoid disrupting it and creating bad blood within the system.

It is public knowledge that the previous government bastardized the civil service and it will be wrong, and shameful if this government will continue in that trend. What then will be the difference?

A commissioner cannot take a unilateral decision to remove a Director of Nursing Service (DNS) or even Principals of Nursing and Midwifery institutions in the Abia State Civil Service. And so, if a commissioner cannot, then a Special Adviser cannot even think about it.”

So, the attempt by Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo to remove the DNS and replace her with her sister from the same Item in Bende Local Government Area without following the due process, without minding her capacity and equally not minding the allegations and indictment on this her sister is purely a corrupt decision.

Otti’s administration must not be seen as rewarding corrupt people just because they have someone close to the government. The government must equally not fall for the trap of describing everyone as corrupt just because they worked in the past administration.

Take for example, the Director of Nursing Service in Abia State Mrs. Dorothy Nwosu, is one person that has shown so much passion in her duty, she has worked uprightly and is the only DNS that has taken it upon herself to fight for the collegiate upgrade of Nursing and Midwifery institutions in Abia State.

The collegiate upgrade will enable nursing and midwifery graduates from Abia State to participate in NYSC, the DNS who is in Abuja at the moment has almost gotten the approval and now they want to maliciously remove her because of the intention of Dr Ngozi to favour her sister Mrs Nwakaego Onyeukwu.

Meanwhile, the position of DNS is a product of career progression and can only terminate by retirement or when indicted by a panel or committee that must be set up by the Head of Service. An SA cannot just declare that a DNS should step aside, it is not done in civil service.

The government should equally be worried because nursing and midwifery students in Abia State are already getting agitated over the rumour that their DNS which is working tirelessly to upgrade their institutions is about to be removed. They are aware that the removal of the DNS will delay the process of the institution's upgrade and equally defeat their desire to participate in NYSC.

This agitation by students if not carefully managed, can lead to a protest which ultimately will embarrass the government. This cannot be allowed to happen at this time when the government is facing numerous battles on different fronts.

It is important to also note that Abia State Nursing and Midwifery Schools have until Wednesday 28th June 2023 to conclude collegiate issue, or the schools stand the risk of the National Nursing Council Abuja withdrawing her accreditations. This will be the worst embarrassment that the Otti’s government will face as students and parents will revolt.

As for the principals, necessary civil service procedures must be followed. Moreover, why on earth will these principals be removed, when they have set standards that are currently been emulated by other neighbouring state nursing institutions?

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health Care Service Delivery Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo, needs to be aware that the office she is occupying is new and there is nothing wrong with telling people to show you or teach you the procedures and processes.

Throwing allegations on the principals without being informed herself is bad. The school fees of Nursing students in Abia State were formally above N350, 000, it was this current DNS that pleaded with the former governor to reduce it to N215,000 considering the economic situation of Nigeria.

Dr Ngozi cannot be alleging that students pay another N155,000 just based on hearsay with no evidence to show, not knowing that the N155, 000 is part of the N215, 000 paid by the students. Civil Service is a critical organization that relies on facts and evidence to take decisions and is not based on emotional sentiment.

If you think you have your facts against the principals, set up a committee, invite them, put the evidence before them and allow them to equally defend themselves. That is due process and the process must be transparent.

Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo must be careful with the information she is being fed by Permanent Secretary Dcn Ekwueme, she is looking for every avenue to remove the principals because they rejected to accept her list of nursing applicants during the last process of intake.

The principals rejected it because it is not in their place to accept the list, it is the job of the DNS to accept the list, scrutinize the applicants and make sure that due process is followed.

The challenges in the Ministry of Health in Abia State are humongous and the task before Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo is massive. From fixing the primary and secondary healthcare centres in Abia State, making the healthcare centres functional, to payment of backlog of salaries to health workers, returning the accreditation of ABSUTH and many other challenges. Dr Ngozi should not allow herself to be distracted by the nursing institutions because of the personal interest of some people who have the aim of using these institutions as their cash cows.

Signed:

Emeka Ikechukwu Iroha
For: Concerned Abia State Labour Party Supporters

Tinubu keeps proving his pundits wrong.

His appointments so far have proven that the Jagaban Borgu, has no room for favoritism, or parochial considerations but places a premium on competency and national spread

He does not understand the colours of ethnicism or religion but has a soft spot for loyalty and competence

He understands Nigeria's religious and ethnic diversity and he is approaching it intelligently and intentionally.

Asiwaju knows that cracks have been created in the walls that hold the country united and our co-existence is being threatened by the insensitivity of the immediate past APC administration where parochial sentimentality was insensitively elevated over competence and equity.

Buhari threw regional balancing and competency into the trash basket and watched Nigeria drift into an ethnic cold war.

Asiwaju is intelligently fixing the cracks

He is boldly challenging the cabals that have over the years hijacked the country's economy and turned it into their private estate.
His decisions are very audacious and have proven that he is in charge and Baba hand and Legs no dey shake in front of any cabal or godfather.

Asiwaju is strategic and his leadership style is dynamic, he is building bridges, meeting and discussing with leaders of different ethnic groups, political parties, and business interests, and he knows that a Nigeria where the leaders play ethnic cards above national interest is only but a time bomb waiting to detonate.

His recent appointments have shown that he is sensitive to the issues of political, religious, and ethnic balancing and he values the peaceful coexistence of the country, I am sure he will visit Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's case away from the advice of Asari Dokubo, and set Onyendu free, oh sure he will release the Biafran leader.

And when that will happen those who are waiting to attend a town hall different from Bala Blu will be speaking in diverse tongues of gratitude.

Uche Aguoru

Dear Gov. Alex Otti, You Are Elected To Deliver On Promises Not Blames Not Excuses

By Uche Aguoru

Let me congratulate Gov. Alex Otti on his successful inauguration as the 5th democratically elected governor of Abia state even as the election is still being contested in the tribunal and the outcome is yet to be concluded.

I am not one given to undue criticism of leaders, I give newly elected governments ample time to settle down to work before scrutinizing their actions and inactions as democracy demands.

Dear Governor Otti, let me remind you that you are expected to come out as one of the most prepared for this job having relentlessly aspired to govern Abia for 8 years and within that period you actively criticized and disagreed with every action of the government and also moved against all of the policies of the Okezie Ikpeazu administration even where it appears unnecessary, you never at any point attributed any positives to the Ikpeazu administration even where renown organizations, national and international bodies give him accolades for such policy initiatives and interventions, but to me that is the beauty of democracy and Ikpeazu in his peaceful nature allowed free press and criticism even where it is uncomfortable to his person, family and government, let me hope and pray that your regime will also accommodate criticism the way your predecessor did.

Former Governor Ikpeazu has done his bit, he met challenges and inherited liabilities which he took on without complaints, and within his time achieved verifiable results, he may not have done everything because no governor or government can solve all the problems of its citizens, he also had his visible failures as much as he recorded acknowledgeable successes.

But let the truth be told the Ikpeazu administration should be scored high in the area of infrastructure, economy, and security.

For you my Governor, this is a lifetime ambition achieved and I want to believe that you are prepared and well aware of the huge task ahead of you because the ordinary Abian did not vote for you to come and narrate how PDP destroyed the economy, you didn't promise the civil servant excuses but hopes of meeting up with their salary obligations, you told us that you know all the challenges and you are coming to fix them, we are expecting a lot of visible transformation and not blame games, excuses or long grammar.

I want you to realize that politics is over and this is time for governance, going to the refuse dump for a photo shoot without safety garb is needless grandstanding.
Blaming the past administrations without delivering on your own promises will place you in the same ranking as former President Buhari and define you as a bad workman that will always quarrel with his tools.

The ordinary Abian believes that you have all the answers to his/her needs, having positioned yourself as one who knows all their needs and is ready to meet them, you also made several documented and undocumented promises during the campaigns, and in all these times all you promised them was greater democratic deliverables, better living standards and the hopes of a brighter future under your care and not excuses or blames.

Remember, that you are in court is not an excuse, because the FAAC and IGR will keep dropping as and when due, and the judicial processes will not in anywhere interfere with your work schedule.

History has shown that leaders who engage in blame games rather than solutions are doomed to fail before they even start because they are hired to correct the mistakes of the past and not live with them.

Dear Governor, Abians are in a hurry and the time is ticking.

Aguoru
Writes From Umuahia

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youth group, the PDP New Generation, has stated that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar The PDP flag bearer in the 2023 presidential election is the most prepared to govern the country, in a press conference held in Umuahia the capital of Abia state, the group stated that Alhaji Abubakar is the only presidential candidate with the cognate experience and preparedness to lead Nigeria out of its present quagmire.

They said their major campaign focus would be to engage in an issue-based campaign, targeting mainly young men and women across the country and to ensure that Atiku gets a minimum of ten thousand votes from the youths in the coming elections.

Addressing newsmen in umuahia ahead of the February 11th presidential campaign in Abia state, Hauwa Atiku-Uwais, Chairperson and convener of the group said The group's mission is to preach the message of Rescue Nigeria with the theme R.E.S.E.T Nigeria, he said Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is the only presidential candidate who understands Nigeria and is willing to steer the ship of Nigeria back to safety.

Engr. Shima Ayu, DDG North Central, and Dr. Ugochukwu Williams DDG South East in their separate addresses said Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is a unifier who has contributed significantly towards the unity and growth of the country, stating that Alhaji Abubakar, if elected, will ensure the restructuring of the country and ensure that power is devolved from the center, assuring that Alhaji Abubakar will address the agitation and insecurity in the southeast.

Hon Uko Nkole, Member PDP Presidential Campaign Council/team leader southeast urged Abians and the whole of the southeast to ensure that they vote for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar whom he described as the leader the country needs at this time given his experience and preparedness, he stated that Alhaji Abubakar will ensure that the country is returned back to the path progress where the country was before the APC took over the country and destroyed all the progressive policies that saw the country measuring progressively with the best economies in the world in the area GDP, he encouraged the youths to vote massively for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar describing him as the only presidential candidate that has their interest at heart, who also has the capacity to end insecurity and rescue the country from the hands of the APC, he decried the suffering that Nigerians are going through and insisted that it is Alhaji Abubakar that can end their sufferings.

In his own address Rt. Hon Chikwendu Kanu, Member of the presidential campaign council in Abia state urged Abians to vote for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar describing him as the unifier the country needs at this time, he said never in the history of this nation has the country witnessed so much disunity and insecurity stating that the only answer to the insecurity and suffering that Nigerians are currently witnessing is to vote in Alhaji Abubakar and vote out the APC.

Looking at the Abia political environment one could easily notice that the political activities have been halted and the political air frozen with no activities going on anywhere except at the Uche Ndi Abia workstation, the opposition parties have either gone asleep or waiting for the PDP Governorship candidate and the incoming governor of Abia state who is having a well-deserved rest to initiate the next political moves, that speaks volumes of their lack of creativity and preparedness, just a bunch of noise makers with no steam or ideas. They are only interested in the display of long convoys with noisy sirens as if that determines the election outcome.

While the YPP candidate Engr Enyinnaya Nwafor has continually spread the false rumour of the death of Prof. Uche Ikonne using Ex steve and other of his supporters, aides, and spokespersons, we also have details of the people Engr Nwafor and his younger brother Chimaraeze Nwafor allegedly telephoned and lied to that Prof. Uche Ikonne is dead, let me inform them that they are only wishing Prof. Ikonne longer life and God who had destined Prof Ikonne to be the next Governor of Abia state does not listen or answer to such evil prayers.

Telling people to transfer the votes meant for the incoming governor and the PDP governorship candidate Prof. Uche Ikonne to you is a dead tactic that can never yield because Abians know your antecedents and history of betrayals.

Truth be told Engr Enyinnaya Nwafor lacks the moral right to aspire to govern Abians or talk about a new Abia as he has been a beneficiary of the system from the cradle.

Engr Nwafor was just a briefcase fake contractor without a functional address in Abia until Governor Ikpeazu came into power in 2015, but today he remains the highest beneficiary of this Government and has collected over N25b Naira for construction Jobs that failed within a period of three months of completion.

Little wonder they nicknamed his company E-dey work E-dey spoil construction company

If not for the SURE-P jobs that former Governor T A Orji, gave to Engr Nwafor through the late Chijioke Nwakodo of blessed memory in a bid to rehabilitate the Nwafor family after Gov Orji Kalu pushed them out of the system for betrayal, unfortunately, the same betrayal is manifest in all of Nana.s dealings and relationships with virtually all his friends and associates.
While I may not want to mention all the people you have betrayed in the course of business and politics, I won't fail to tell Abians how you betrayed Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji, who took you in with open arms and even gave you a Toyota Corolla car when you had no car, and today it is the turn of Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu who turned you from a briefcase contractor and gave you grade-A road construction jobs even when it is obvious you do not have the equipment or the experience in road construction.
I challenge you to point at any road construction job undertaken anywhere by your company TUNNEL END before Governor Ikpeazu came to power.

Nana cannot be the solution to Abia's problems, but rather the biggest beneficiary of the inadequacies of the system, wishing Prof Ikonne dead cannot give you the governorship of Abia state instead many Abians including your Ngwa brothers are disappointed that you can go this low to push your failed ambition.

let me assure Abians and supporters of Prof Uche Ikonne, our incoming Governor that he is healthy, hale, and hearty and only taking a well-deserved rest in readiness for the Presidential, NASS, Governorship, and state Assembly rallies.

Prof. Ikonne is ready and prepared and will deliver a prosperous Abia where every resident must prosper.

Uche Ndi Abia Mee, Ala Juo Oyi

Uche Aguoru
14\12\22

The Abia state PDP governorship candidate Prof. Eleazar Uche Ikonne has applauded Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, The Speaker Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji and Members of the Abia State House of Assembly for the passage and signing into law of the H.A.B. 61: Abia State Female Persons Right of Inheritance of Property Bill, 2022

The 2023 governorship hopeful hailed the leadership and members of the 7th Abia Assembly for their Solicitousness, Commitment, and Gender Sensitivity in making sure that the rights of Abia women are protected.

Prof Ikonne stated that Abia women are hardworking and intelligent and have showcased prominent, inspirational, influential, and quality leadership skills in the public and private sectors locally and globally and are therefore veritable assets in leadership, he reaffirmed his promise that women will form 35 percent of his government when he takes over next year and that under his government the full rights of the Abia woman will be protected.

He applauded the cordial relationship that had existed between the executive and legislative arms of government and attributed the successes being recorded by the state as a product of the harmonious relationship between the two important arms of government.

He congratulated the Abia women for this breakthrough and thanked the Abia State House of Assembly for legally recognizing the rights of the Abia women.

Uche Aguoru
Director E-Media/Publicity
Uche Ndi Abia Campaign Organization
6/12/2022

Being part of the speech delivered by Prof. Uche Eleazar Ikonne, the Abia State PDP governorship candidate during the flag-off of the campaign for the 2023 election held in Umuahia Township Stadium on the 24th of November 2022.

#abiaispdp

"As I stand here looking at the sea of heads that thronged this venue just to be part of the historic flag-off of our campaign, I get emotional, and I am much more encouraged by this large gathering of Abians from all walks of life.

It has confirmed the love and trust of Abians in the PDP to continue to deliver good governance to them.

Today, we have taken a very important, and symbolic step in our march toward greater prosperity

My assurance to Abians is that my administration when elected will reposition Abia and place it on a faster lane of infrastructural and economic development, with Participatory Governance as our mandate, we will ensure that every Abian contributes to how he/she will be governed.

My vision is to deliver a prosperous society with ease of doing business where every Abian will become prosperous and every part of the state will be developed based on comparative advantage and not on political or clannish identity

My resolve to lead Abia to an enviable status within the region and beyond is heightened. as Abians, irrespective of our political divides, what should be paramount is our belief in an Abia that works for all of us.

To all of you, our dear party members and the general public, thank you for being with us today.

To the leadership of our great party and the G-5 governors, on behalf of all the candidates of our great party the PDP, I thank you for your solidarity and support since we commenced this journey, let me use this opportunity to extend the same appreciation to everyone here today and to remind us that our march to victory has just begun.

PDP...... Power To The People, Power To The People....... PDP"

~Prof Uche Eleazar Ikonne
Abia State PDP Governorship Candidate
24/11/2022

The governorship ambition of Prof. Greg Ibe has suffered yet another setback following the appointment of Prince Longman Nwachukwu as the Director General of his campaign organization, a prominent member of his campaign team while speaking to us on condition of anonymity lamented how a man whose chances of winning the election is very slim due to a combination of factors ranging from a life-threatening ailment, multiple court cases from Barr. Etigwe Uwa, SAN and Chief Chikwe Udensi, internal party crisis and paucity of funds which the team has been managing internally and hoping that he will come out of his health challenges to face the load of internal party rifts crippling the campaign, according to him, "how can a man whose chances of winning the election is very slim at the moment given the litany of challenges facing his ambition take such an action on his own without consulting with the original members of his campaign team, is it reasonable to nominate a member of the PDP to come and lead his governorship campaign? is it not giving clarity to the rumour that he didn't come out to run for governorship on his own but is rather being financed and dictated to by some elements in PDP who intends to continue their hold on the treasury of the state by making him governor, are these not questions begging for answers"?

"This is not acceptable and not in line with the original intention. APGA did not give him the ticket for his personal benefits together with that of his business partners as it appears at the moment, and we warned Ehiemere, the party chairman not to give anybody who came from PDP the ticket but he didn't listen and today look at where the party has found itself.

He regretted why he had to join the governorship campaign of Greb Ibe which he described as an ambition lacking in ideas and disclosed that very soon he and some prominent members of the party will abandon Prof. Ibe and join a healthy and good-intentioned candidate, he insisted that the actions and intentions of Greg Ibe are not clear and suggests that of a man lacking in competence and character and we can't have such a desperate character as governor of Abia state.

Alex Otti's Failed Political Rally in Abia: A Deserving Reward for Political Brigandage

By Michael Nwabueze

The governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Abia State, Mr Alex Otti has, in his short but chequered political career, built negative reputation for himself as a bitter, malicious and uncouth perennial loser. His consistent raising of false alarms about the outcomes of the elections he has contested in in the past and the bitterness with which he talks about those who roundly defeated him at every turn of election gives him away as a sore loser whose main objective for desperately seeking to be governor of Abia State is to exert vengeance on his political conquerors.

It was so bad that Learned Justices of the Appeal Court once described Alex Otti as a "meddlesome interloper, busy body" during one of his numerous desperate voyages to the judiciary to seek electoral victory through the backdoor after suffering devastating defeats at the polls proper.

Having been roundly rejected by the people at the polls as reflected in the 2019 Abia governorship election results where Otti scored a miserly 64,366 votes compared to the winner, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s 261,127 votes, a whopping 60.26% of total votes cast.

Having suffered such a humiliating defeat, Alex Otti in his usual desperation jumped from APGA to APC, and when his desperation for power could not be tolerated there, he once again jumped ship to join Labour Party confirming his description as a 'busy body' by the Justices of the Apoeal Court. It is even worse when one remembers that he had earlier jumped from PDP to APGA. What an unstable individual!

In order to get back at his political opponents, Otti has almost always deployed derogatory and uncomplimentary words, spinning falsehood and half truths against them in the process. He has also used unprintable words on some sections of the electorate for rejecting him at the polls thereby making him come across to many as a truly resentful person lacking in character and only seeking power just for the sake of it.

Such is the character of Otti that Abians see through his bitterness, malice and mischief and shows it everywhere he goes. Unfortunately, a gentleman with profoundly contrasting character like Peter Obi will be forced to be associated with an Otti who has been loudly rejected by the people on several occasions, by the virtue of both men sharing the same LP platform

Contrary to the massive followership Mr Peter Obi commands nationwide, only few people attended the November 10 Labour Party rally in Aba, Abia State despite the well publicised information that Peter Obi would be in attendance.

It was so bad that facts have emerged that the few persons who attended the rally were rented as videos making the rounds show the rented crowd fighting over sharing formula of the rent fees. This goes a long way to show that Abians are truly tired of the antics of Alex Otti and would not want anything to do with him. Sadly, Peter Obi had to share a brunt of that humiliating outing in Aba. It was so bad that while the Labour Party presidential candidate shared his outing in Benin the following day on his verified Twitter account as he has always done, he could not share any image from the rally in Abia because it was indeed a disappointing outing. Peter Obi is a man who will never want to be associated with rented crowd for any political rally he is involved in but he did not ask questions about his Party's governorship candidate in Abia before agreeing to participate in that flag off of November 10. If he had asked questions, he would have known that Alex Otti is a rejected politician in Abia State, and that without financial inducement, no Abian will, in good faith, attend any of his rallies.

It becomes disturbing therefore that a man of integrity and impeccable character with sterling records in both private and public offices who engages all, both friends and foes, with utmost respect and profound humility, like Mr Peter Obi finds himself in the same party as Mr Alex Otti who is glaringly attempting to ride on the goodwill of the former to warm himself back into the hearts of the people.

But it is not going to work because Abians have endured enough of Otti's shenanigans over the years and made that abundantly clear to him by staying away from his governorship campaign flag off with only the rented crowd saving him from total disgrace. His gang of co-travellers themselves did not make the matter better as they shortchanged the rented crowd by paying them less what was agreed as seen in the videos making the rounds.

It will be highly advisable that as the campaigns advance, Mr Peter Obi should avoid such characters as Alex Otti whose character deficiency will only rub off negatively on him just as it did in Abia State recently.

NOI 2023 POLL RESULTS ARE UNREALISTIC, MANIPULATED, AND A FALSE REFLECTION OF THE ABIA ELECTORAL REALITIES

The attention of the Uche Ndi Abia Campaign Council has been drawn to a poll conducted by the NOI Polls which made unrealistic and incredible permutations on the 2023 governorship elections in Abia state.


And having carefully examined the process of the poll commissioned by ANAP Foundation which gave the Labour Party an imaginary win in the yet-to-be-conducted governorship election in Abia state, over the widely accepted candidacy of the PDP's Prof Uche Ikonne by an evidently biased political analyst and armchair opinionist Dr. Atedo Peterside.


We want to make it categorically clear that the poll was manipulated using dubious and unreliable statistics and will rightly be described as irresponsible, unscientific, biased, and therefore lacking in verifiable political realities on the ground in Abia state, if elections are conducted in Abia state today Prof Elaezar Uche Ikonne of the PDP will overwhelmingly win the governorship election because of his popularity, acceptability and reach which the other candidates do not have.


The president and Founder of ANAP Foundations Dr. Atedo Peterside, a bosom friend and colleague of Dr. Alex Otti, the Labour party candidate has chosen his preferred candidate and has decided to use fake, unverifiable, and dubious statistics to package him to the Abia electorates who had on various occasions rejected him.


We, therefore, use this medium to fault the process and results of the poll while querying the sampling method used in arriving at the obviously flawed, unverifiable, and concocted data.


The poll is deceptive, manipulated, dubious, biased, and lacking in all the basics of a poll and should be disregarded.


Is it not absurd and unimaginable to allocate an imaginary win to the LP governorship candidate in the Abia South zone of the state where the incumbent governor who is of the Peoples Democratic Party, a ranking serving Senator Dr. Enyinnaya Abaribe who is now of the APGA, foremost and highly influential industrialist Chief Chris Nkwonta also of the PDP, The Abia PDP state Chairman Dr. Asiforo Okere hail from, a zone where we have no single prominent LP stalwart, what statistics did NOI use to arrive at Dr. Otti having a tie with Prof Ikonne whose personality, profile, accomplishments, and acceptability is very towering and intimidating in Abia Central Senatorial Zone?


We challenge ANAP Foundation to display empirical demographics that were used to allocate The Abia South Senatorial zone where Otti has serially lost in the past the imaginary majority win, Otti is an Aro from Arochukwu in Abia North and we have Ukwala Ngwa sons in the persons of Prof. Uche Ikonne, Engr Enyinnaya Nwafor, and Bishop Emeka Nwankpa in the race.


While we are not perturbed by the oblique nature of the poll having knowledge of a record of the previous polls conducted by Dr. Atedo Peterside's ANAP Foundations prior to the 2015 presidential election, which had projected victory for Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP, we want to make it clear that the poll is bogus and an attempt to create the impression that Dr. Alex Otti has chances of succeeding, when the reality on the ground is totally different.


Otti as of today has lost political steam and is only struggling to climb on the back of Dr. Peter Obi to once again gain political visibility but if he thinks that manipulating online poll results will sway Abians who had severally rejected him then he should go back to the drawing board because PDP remains the strongest and the only acceptable party in Abia and Abians will vote for Prof Uche Ikonne in as their governor.


Uche Aguoru

Director E-Media/Publicity
Uche Ndi Abia Campaign Organization
10/11/2022

Attempts To Shut Down Ngwa High School For Rally During School Hours By Alex Otti, Insensitivity Taken Too Far......

By Uche Aguoru

It was very shocking to listen to Labour Party announce that they are going to use the Ngwa High School premises on a Thursday morning by 8 am when students are supposed to be in active session for the flag-off of Dr. Alex Otti's governorship campaign in Abia state.


To every sane Abian who understands the importance of education and cares about the safety and well-being of our children the attempt on its own amounts to gross abuse of privilege and flagrant disregard and disrespect for the rights of the students and their teachers, how can any human being contemplate holding a political rally with all the dangers and insecurity associated with such political events in a school compound when students are holding lectures, it is insensitive, it is wicked, it is an abuse of the privilege of free political air that the government of Governor Ikpeazu is offering and should be condemned by every well-meaning Abian.


Apart from the destruction of facilities in the schools where such rallies are held, people also defecate and mess up the school premises and thereafter abandon it for the students and management of the school to use their active study time to engage in the clean up of their premises.


In this period of insecurity in our nation, it is high risk for anybody to hold political rallies when schools are in session as the security of students cannot be guaranteed under such circumstances and anybody who holds such rallies is an enemy of the public.


Dr. Otti should not place his ambition above the security and future of our children and should be sensitive enough to consider the distraction and danger such a program will cause to the students.


Dr. Otti should please place the education and lives of our children above his personal and political interest if he truly cares for Abia and Abians.


I am therefore pleading with the Labour Party to please consider the lives of the students and their teachers and change the venue of the rally or please reschedule the event to a time and date when the students won't be in session.


Uche Aguoru
Director E-Media Publicity
Uche Ndi Abia Campaign Organisation
8/11/22

“Anybody claiming the governor appointed me to be a surrogate is abusing my academic capacity. Governor Ikpeazu only encouraged my candidacy, because he wants his successor to be someone who has character and a proven track record of integrity and competence, someone who he can be proud of"

"It’s all about a question of character, I am here to defend the integrity of academia all over the world, at my level of accomplishments and age, having served in national and international committees it is insulting and needless propaganda to imagine that I will be a stooge to anybody, everybody who came out to vie for governor must have been encouraged by either political friends or business associates if Governor Ikpeazu is looking for a stooge he would have chosen one of his aides to take over from him as governor, not a professor of international repute and a former vice-chancellor" - Prof Uche Ikonne

Former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship contender and the Youth Ambassador of the Prof Uche Ikonne Campaign Organization, H.E Mayor Lucky Igbokwe, aka, Don Lulu, has joined forces with Chief Erondu Erondu jnr, a close aide of Gov Okezie Ikpeazu to mobilize the Abia youths in support of the candidacy of Prof Uche Ikonne and other PDP Flagbearer in the forthcoming 2023 General Election.

Mayor Igbokwe who was on a scheduled visit to the Obingwa residence of Chief Erondu Erondu jnr, who also is the candidate of the PDP for Obingwa West state Constituency, announced his youth empowerment programmes for Abia youths and his plans to ensure that the youths were integrated into the making of the new Abia.

While receiving the United Nation Mayor of Peace, Hon Erondu jnr described Mayor Lucky Igbokwe as a true leader and worthy son of Abia State who has carved a niche for himself in the world of entertainment.

The PDP house of assembly candidate assured Mayor Igbokwe of his readiness to join forces with him to ensure the victory of not only Prof Ikonne, but all the other PDP contestants in the state.

He said that the visit by the Ohuhu Umuahia born entertainment expert and vibrant politician, has ushered in a new relationship and collaboration between them geared toward the development of Abia State.

Hon Erondu jnr who also applauded Mayor Igbokwe for his indomitable spirit of sportsmanship, as exemplified during the gubernatorial primaries,

said he has no doubt that Mayor Igbokwe would make a success of his political career.
Erondu jnr promised to return the visit in order to cement the new alliance.

Businessman and PDP chieftain in Abia, H.E Mayor Lucky Igbokwe (Don Lulu) has pledged to rally support for Col. Austin Akobundu (Rtd) who's vying to represent Abia Central in the Senate under the umbrella of the People Democratic Party, PDP.

The Abia Youth Ambassador for Uche Ndi Abia Campaign Organization gave the assurance when Col. Akobundu paid a courtesy visit to him in his country home at Umuawa Alaocha, Umuahia, Abia State.

The PDP Abia Central Senatorial candidate and immediate past national organizing secretary of the party, said he has great respect for Mayor Igbokwe as one of the key stakeholders in Ikwuano/Umuahia and Abia and that's why he chose him as the first leader to consult in Ohuhu clan.

He applauded Igbokwe's courage during the Abia guber primaries and said "it's not easy to run for governor, but you ran to the end and even emerged as first runner up"

He assured that his time will come for him to put to use the leadership potentials inherent in him.

A group under the aegis of Concerned members of the All Progressive Grand Alliance has called on Prof Greg Ibe the Governorship candidate of the APGA to break the silence and declare his whereabouts and health status as the build-up to the activities leading to who becomes the next governor of the state builds up.

In a statement made public by the group and signed by Comrade Ndubuisi Nwankwo, the group expressed deep concern that candidates of other political parties have been appearing publicly and consulting with stakeholders and holding political meetings with interest groups and other electorates but Prof Ibe has been suspiciously silent and has not been seen anywhere in Abia or in any public event recently thereby making the rumour that he was recently flown abroad in an AIR AMBULANCE as a result of a life-threatening ailment sound like the truth.

The group challenged Prof Greg Ibe to unveil his true health condition to the Independent National Electoral Commission, his followers, and the Abia electorates to enable the electoral umpire to make a meaningful decision on his continuing in the race, they insisted that APGA, though a strong party cannot win the 2023 governorship election if we go ahead to field an unhealthy candidate who will be running in and out of hospitals for treatment abroad while withholding the truth about his true health status, they urged him to in the interest of the party and Abians to please step aside and allow Sir Chikwe Udensi, who is healthy the opportunity to fly the flag of the party in the 2023 governorship election.

The office of the Governor is a serious office that will determine the future of millions of Abians, we should not allow somebody that is not medically fit to occupy such an office and mess all of us up.

We are therefore calling on Prof Greg Ibe, to as a matter of urgency convene a press conference and declare to Abians his health status if truly he was not flown abroad for critical medical attention.

Mayor Lucky Obinwa Igbokwe (Don Lulu) was yesterday treated to a grand civic reception at Afo Umuawa market square by his kinsmen who trouped out en-mass to welcome him home.

Mayor Igbokwe who went on vacation abroad after the PDP governorship primary election where he came second returned home amidst a warm reception by his supporters and kinsmen.

Addressing the crowd, Mayor Igbokwe recounted the events leading to the PDP primary election which he described as successful, and encouraged his supporters not to be discouraged by the outcome but to take it in the spirit of sportsmanship and throw their weight behind Professor Ikonne, whom he described as a man with vision, capacity, and competence who has come to change the narrative.

According to Mayor Igbokwe, "having taken time to study Ikonne's impressive records in ABSU and ABIAPOLY, where he has superintended, his antecedents and manifesto, I am convinced that Ikonne is the man that will give us the Abia we all will prosper in and be proud of"

"I am supporting Prof. Ikonne because he shares the same vision with me which is to better the lives of the people by giving them good and quality education, sustainable empowerment for the youths, improving the lives and welfare of the people, and making sure that the people are placed first before self, politics is about negotiation and I am here to stand in the gap for you and to make sure that whatever is due to you gets to you"

He told the people not to be distracted by all those masquerading as philanthropists just for election purposes and warned that their intentions are far from being honest, that philanthropy comes naturally out of good intentions and not for political reasons, and stated that he has been into philanthropy for over two decades even as a young businessman who is not even thinking about politics, and the results are visible for all to see, he stated that what Abians need now is to elect a leader who has visible and verifiable achievements and not emergency philanthropists or politicians who will come to them with all manner of lies and deceit just to gain access to power.

He encouraged them to ensure massive support for Prof. Ikonne and vote for PDP in the coming elections.

In his speech, the Deputy Chairman of Umuahia North Local Government Area Mr. Bob Agbugba assured Mayor Igbokwe that the people are with him, he said with a leader like him around Ohuhu and indeed Umuahia north, we are sure of victory for the PDP and stated that Ohuhu will give the PDP 5/5 in the coming elections.

The PDP candidate for Umuahia North state constituency in the 2023 election Chief Ugochukwu Ezeocha while speaking said he is ready to attract the much-needed development that Ohuhu has been yearning for, and that with leaders like Don Lulu behind him he will be more emboldened in his assignment to serve the people as their representative when elected, he pleaded with Ohuhu people not to be distracted by some people whose motives are selfish but to remain steadfast and vote for PDP while joining leaders like Mayor Igbokwe who will go all out to fight for the rights of the Ohuhu man, he welcomed him home from his vacation and thanked him for his support for the party and himself.

Mayor Igbokwe was later hosted by the PDP governorship candidate Prof. Uche Ikonne in his Umuahia residence where Prof Ikonne re-echoed his commitment to work with him and other credible Abians to deliver a greater Abia by making sure he creates an enabling environment for investors to come in, he said Abia needs fertile and productive minds and he is going to work with the best of hands and that's the reason for his proposed Participatory Governance structure.

In his response, Don Lulu appreciated Prof Ikonne for hosting him and his team while reiterating his commitment to working with him to build a better and prosperous Abia that works for all.

PRIMING ABIA ECONOMY FOR EXPANSIVE GROWTH THROUGH THE TIGER ECONOMY

By Uche Aguoru


While I wholly agree that we have not arrived at where we wanted to be as a state in terms of economy and infrastructure, it will be very unfair for anybody irrespective of political interest to deny that the administration of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has not made significant progress in economic growth and infrastructural development.

The administration of Dr. Ikpeazu has created a clear roadmap that will accelerate infrastructural development and economic reforms for succeeding administrations.

Deny all you want, Aba the commercial capital of the southeast has today enjoyed remarkable infrastructural attention by Dr. Ikpeazu's administration, due to the reconstruction of so many roads in Aba, while more is still ongoing, Umuahia, the state capital has also received commendable attention.

The Ikpeazu Administration has also received national accolades for SME development, while Governor Ikpeazu's administration is a blessing for Abians when it comes to security.

In a few days' time, the TIGER ECONOMY blueprint as proposed by the incoming administration of Prof. Uche Ikonne will be launched, this document will expose to the Abia public the economic development agenda, policies, and activities that will be deployed to improve the economic and infrastructural well-being and quality of life of Abians.

One of the key areas that the TIGER ECONOMY is focused on is the improvement of SMEs’, access to finance and the creation of clear innovative solutions to unlock sources of capital. The incoming administration of Prof. Ikonne's approach to SME development is holistic, transparent, and progressive.

The TIGER ECONOMY will usher in fresh investment blueprints that will make Abia's economy more attractive to investors local and foreign, it will address areas of insufficient infrastructure, build strong and effective institutions, as well as address governance issues and public financial management systems.

Abia needs a man with the foresight, courage, determination, competence, and experience to identify, tackle the challenges and create the enabling environment for our economy to expand and usher in sustainable growth and prosperity, that man is Prof. Eleazar Uche IKonne, a renowned Professor of optometry, an experienced technocrat, an administrator par excellence, a creative thinker, God-fearing, open and innovative.

For a Greater Abia where every citizen will be secure, prosperous, participate, contribute and have a say on how he/she is being governed.

Vote for Prof. Uche Ikonne for Governor of Abia State.

Aguoru
Writes From Umuahia