From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Abia State Liaison Officer at the National Assembly, Abuja, Chief Iheanyi Chinasa, has warned politicians angling for the office of the Governor of the state in 2027 to go back and have a rethink as the incumbent governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has shown capacity and competence to defeat any challenger.
“Anybody who is planning to challenge His Excellency, Governor Otti, should go and have his head examined. It makes up to probably no sense, except the person wants to exercise his right as a citizen.”
Chief Chinasa’s warning, through a statement in Umuahia, was in the backdrop of a speech made by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, during the commissioning of the reconstructed Port Harcourt Road in Aba.
The Deputy Speaker had, during his address, focused more on President Bola Tinubu, thanking him for providing the money for the projects going on in Abia State through increased federal allocation to states as a result of the subsidy removal, without giving Otti due commendation.
According to Kalu, “I want us to be very vocal in praising the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on how he has made resources available to the states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria when he removed the oil subsidy. He did not keep that money in Abuja. He sent it to the States. It is my challenge to the commissioner for information and all the media houses in Abia State, please give credit to whom credit is due.
“The ones the President has done and the ones he has assisted, please make sure all Abians know that the President is supporting the governor of Abia State. It is important because it is the philosophy of the Igbo that if you thank a helper, he will do more. If we need more from the President, we must give the true credit to the President so that he will release more for Governor Otti to do more for Abia State.”
Responding, however, Chief Chinasa said the speech of Hon. Kalu was an attempt to score cheap political points, saying the attempt by the Reps Deputy Speaker to place Abia and Abians in an ungrateful mould was crass and out of desperation.
“That was an attempt to score some cheap political browning points by taking a swipe and casting our dear state in an ungrateful mould.”
The former House of Representatives candidate of the Labour Party in 2023 was of the view it was not necessary to take the glory for the project to the President.
“Let’s not forget that the money in question is from federal allocation of which Abia is part of the federation, hence a ‘co-owner’ of the funds. The President has been gracious enough to share these funds to all states in the federation, not just Abia. The state has been grateful for something he has done to help the state, notably the PH expressway to help people come into the state easily, and the President has received due gratitude from the State.
“The main focus should be a case for performance and management of the funds. In terms of management and performance, we all agree Dr. Alex Otti has performed above expectations,” Chinasa stated.
