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Alex Otti’s inauguration: New lease of life begins in Abia
By Ori Martins
“My task is to dry your tears and help you to rediscover who you are and lead you back to the pathway of sustainable growth, development and prosperity”.
Those were the well embellished words of Dr Alex Otti who was was sworn in on May 29 as the new governor of Abia State at the Umuahia Township Stadium.
The colourful ceremony which was witnessed by thousands of Abians, also had in attendance, a former governor of the state, Senator Theodore Ahamefule Orji., the Labour Party deputy presidential candidate in the last February election, Datti Buba – Ahmed, former minister of transpiration and a one time governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi, among other signatures.
Vividly demonstrating his readiness to take Abia out of her present retrogressive state, Otti who was overwhelmingly elected by the majority of Abians and residents in the state in the last March 18 governorship election, enthused to the admiration of the enthusiastic crowd at the occasion that his administration had come to end the people’s servitude and restore freedom to the masses.
According to him, “Someone should go and tell them that we have decisively broken free from our bondage. We are finally heading for our Promised Land., and we have resolved that we will no longer serve Pharoah”.
At every of his paragraph, the cheering crowd usually yelled out affirmative choruses to show support to his submissions. Certainly, that kind of solidarity brightened Otti’s confidence and he went ahead with his address of a hope after a grand hopeless situation.
Apparently directing thoughts and words to the dejected and almost rejected civil servants in the state, Otti, a renowned banker and respected economist who practically understood the burdens of the workers thundered in a most reassuring fashion.
“It gives me pleasure to announce that within the next few days, we shall commence the payment of May, 2023 salaries and pensions to all civil servants and pensions in the state. There will be no distinction between the so called core and non core civil servants”, he pledged. Of course, that forced out a thunderous ovation from the audience and Otti himself was calm, calculating and positively emotional as he watched the joyous responses from his listeners.
Otti made it clear that his government would provide security, ensure massive infrastructural development in both rural and urban areas, encourage sports, entertainment and tourism invigoration as well as meet the desires of the youth and women groups through various empowerment schemes. He pledged to cause agricultural revolution, industrial growth and carry out projects that would strengthen as well as develop education, health and commerce especially in Aba.
In the streets of Abia State, particularly Umuahia and Aba, people expressed happiness and enthusiasm that the Otti administration would usher in a new lease of life in the state.
“Based on Otti’s track records, we are hopeful that things are going to begin anew in Abia State. And looking at his humility and simplicity as well as juxtaposing it with his wealth of experience as a successful banker who has character, capacity and competence, I can tell you that Abia will soon be better”, Jude Uche Azubuike, a public affairs analyst in Umuahia, stated.
