Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has affirmed that he will remain focused on governance and refuse to be sidetracked by the antics of detractors seeking attention.
He highlighted that in the past two and a half years, he has issued over 10,562 Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) to landed property owners—a figure he said had not been reached in the last decade.
Speaking during a media briefing in Umuahia, Otti emphasized that his main priority is delivering the change he promised Abia residents in 2023, noting that it is his “works, and not propaganda, that shall speak for him in 2027.”
He welcomed constructive criticism and advice but expressed regret that some opponents, in their desperation for power, had resorted to malicious propaganda, though he believes their efforts would fail because the public already recognizes his achievements.
“We will continue to pay attention to governance. And governance is key. We will continue our efforts toward a developmental revolution. What we are doing has started yielding positive fruits.”
Otti pointed out that under his leadership, Abia has received positive evaluations across multiple sectors due to the administration’s transformation efforts.
“Just a few days ago, out of the 36 states and Abuja, Abia emerged the most prepared state to deal with medical emergencies.”
He also revealed that the electric buses procured for intra-state mass transit would start operating before the end of December.
“Our transport revolution is being rolled out. Before the end of the year, the electric buses that have started arriving in the state will be put into service, further reducing transportation costs.”
Otti promised aggressive road construction and reconstruction, stating that contractors and the direct labour agency have been instructed to complete many projects before the end of the dry season.
“Construction work, which slowed down at some point, has resumed with speed. We will continue to give attention to our contractors, advancing the state’s infrastructure development.”
Issuing 10,562 ‘C of Os’ in 30 months
“We have rolled out a policy of issuing a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) in 30 days. As of yesterday, we have issued about 10,562 C of Os in the 2.5 years we have been in charge. The whole idea is to inject value into the system. We have automated the process. As soon as it gets to me, I can sign and send it back.”
ABCETA regains accreditation
“I am happy to report that the College of Education Technical, Arochukwu, which lost accreditation a few years ago, this afternoon, about 84 courses in the college were accredited. So we are now ready to run the way we plan to run the College. If you visit there recently, you will see the massive work going on, both on the roofs and in the lecture theatres and classrooms. And the whole idea is to make it a home for proper training of our teachers.”
He also pledged to continue ongoing reforms at Abia University, Uturu (ABSU), and Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba, noting with pride that students at the polytechnic are fabricating waste bin buckets for the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA).
He praised ASEPA for keeping Abia clean, saying the state now ranks among the cleanest in the country.
Otti assured residents that a more stable power supply is coming, as the acquisition of the distribution network in the remaining eight Local Government Areas outside the Aba ringed area nears completion.
“Once this is done, we can feed excess power from Aba Power Plant into Umuahia, so we can also enjoy an unparalleled power supply in the rest of the state.”
Set to clear N60 billion gratuity arrears
The Governor promised to settle the N60 billion in gratuity arrears owed to pensioners, though payments will be made in installments given the size of the debt.
“The joint committee that was set up by the national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, and this administration has just handed in a report. Recall that after appeals were made, we decided to look at it again. We have done that now. It is disheartening that the pension has remained outstanding since 2001. From the report we saw, it is in excess of N60 billion. That is a large number. So, I am going to make a decision very soon. But the way my mind is working is that we will have to begin the payment gradually because these are debts which date back over 20 years.”
“We are unafraid to work out a solution in spite of who incurred the debts. So one thing I would like to assure the pensioners is that their gratuity will be paid gradually.”