The Abia State Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate, Dr Alex Otti, has promised to free the residents from the vicious grip of bad leaders, and set the State on the path of growth and prosperity if elected governor in the forthcoming election.
Otti made the promise while featuring as a guest during the virtual interactive session of Abia Media Forum (AMF) comprising editors and senior journalists of Abia State extraction practicing all over the country.
The former bank chief executive urged Abians to go out and vote during the elections, in order to break the chain of bad governance, poor leadership, godfatherism, which he said arose from imposed stooges and people who have held the State hostage for about 24 years.
“The fish gets rotten from the head, and Abia has always had a very, very poor leadership, unprepared leadership and godfatherism,” he said, adding that the godfather always installs a godson who is less competent and have less capacity than him.
He further slammed the administration of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for alleged non- performance, saying that the government admitted to have received N75 billion annually from FAAC and IGR, but has nothing to show for it, rather a debt burden of over N160 billion.
Otti further said that the N75 billion annual receipts exclude monies from the bailout fund and Paris Club refund. He noted that besides the huge debt burden, pensioners are owed 40 to 45 months of arrears and workers several months of unpaid salaries.
Otti, who had previously run for the governorship twice, stressed that it is the same small clique of politicians that is holding the State by the jugular for almost 24 years and retarded its development in all ramifications. “For now, Abia is completely decayed and rotten,” he lamented.
Otti further said his vision for taking Abia out of the doldrums is to embark on wealth creation and positioning government to drive investments.
According to the former banker, his administration would, among others, build a Medical Village of International standard with a view to grabbing a share of the $1.6 billion which Nigerians currently spend on medical tourism abroad.