Otti’s triumphalism beyond bizarre, by Don Norman Obinna
Abians want Governor Otti to match words with corresponding actions, not this deluding smokescreen, to cover his obvious dilatoriness.
“How does Ikpeazu think he can compete with an (sic) Alex Otti that dwarfs him by all standards? The worst thing a man can do to himself is to (sic) perpetually see his superior as his rival, (sic) that’s the unfortunate case of Ikpeazu.”
The Abia State governor, Dr. Alex Otti, used the above presumptuous paragraph to deride his predecessor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, in the never-ending war of attrition between the duo and their political aides.
However, to avoid igniting the latent booby trap in the above paragraph, let’s circumvent its contextual literalism and utilitarianism and focus on the kernel of the brickbats, which is their achievements within the first four months in office.
Beyond the propaganda and superfluities, Dr. Ikpeazu completed Ehere Road, Ukaegbu Road, Umuole Road, Kamalu Road, Umuocham Road, Omni Road, ENUC Drive, including Road 8 and 2 of World Bank, Umuahia and de-silted major drainages in Aba within his first four months in office.
He also paid salaries, including ABSUTH’s 11 months’ arrears, cleared AbiaPoly’s N2 billion debt, launched the education for employment program and donated 14 transformers. In all, Ikpeazu re-asphalted 18 roads in Aba and Umuahia.
Ikpeazu commenced and completed the reconstruction and refurbishment of the Governor’s official residences in Umuahia, G.R.A Aba and Aminu Kano Crescent, Abuja, the old Presidential Lodge, Umuahia and the Executive Council Chambers.
Even Governor Otti’s current ally, Chief Umeh Kalu, acknowledged these achievements in his December 2021 open letter to former governor Ikpeazu, titled: The State of Abia: Wakeup Call on Okezie Ikpeazu (Part 1).
He wrote:
“The Standard of work in some of the completed projects as cited above was superlative and got a commendation from everyone.
“The former governor was impressed with the facelift made to the Executive Council Chambers and made comments about its impressive status when he visited few months.
“The roads in Aba and even the FMC, Umuahia to Ubakala road that could not be addressed for the eight years that your predecessor held sway, started receiving your attention.
“The people of Aba who had since 2010 been a torn in the flesh of Abia government and her principal officers, due to the government’s nil attention to the city’s infrastructure, especially roads, embraced you with both hands. You became the toast of ndi Aba.
Umeh Kalu continued:
“On your assumption of office in May, 2015, you made concerted and spirited efforts to hit the ground running and made a sharp departure from the wastefulness of the past.
“You reduced the retinue of protocol staff accompanying the Governor on trips outside the State to the barest minimum, in order to save cost. You rejected the use of private jets by the Governor of Abia State as was the case in the past and resorted to flying Business Class on commercial Airlines.
“Equally heart-warming and worthy of mention was your initial discomfiture with vainglory. I witnessed your rejection of an award by a group from the UNIBEN Alumni, led by my learned friend Richard Oma Ahonaruogho, SAN. You bluntly told the group that you were barely two months old in office and do not consider yourself fit or deserving of any award at that moment.”
The testimony above is the opposite of what Otti represents. It also dwarfed his 120 days in office achievements to warrant the vainglory and triumphalism he, his aides and sycophants display on social media.
Strength lies in variances, not in comparisons. Abians are the beneficiaries of whatever achievements by the past and present administrations. It explains why Sarvesh Jain opines that comparing yourself with others is one of the highest forms of self-destruction, and people who love themselves do not destroy themselves.
As Governor Otti and his aides intensify their blame game and pretend they inherited a dead state, let me refer them to a publication by StatiSense published on its X account @StatiSense where Abia State ranked the best state in Pry Health Care under one roof (PHCUOR) 2022, with 100 per cent mark.
Abians want Governor Otti to match words with corresponding actions, not this deluding smokescreen, to cover his obvious dilatoriness.
Lastly, the governor’s press releases must sound gubernatorial with well-structured badinage than the waspish paragraph replete with inappropriate colloquialisms that prompted my insertion of sic.
Don Norman Obinna is the Abia State Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). He’s also the publisher of ‘Raped and Enslaved: Era of Kleptocracy’ which is available as an ebook. Click the link below to read a copy.
