By Eric Elezuo

The coming of Dr. Alex Otti as the governor of Abia State since May 2023 has continued to generate discourse in the political cycle as a result of the vote of confidence he has received across party, regional and ethnic divides.

Otti’s landmark achievements in less than a year in office, especially in infrastructural development in the commercial city of Aba, seems to have catapulted him to the highest echelon of administrative excellence in the state, dwarfing the 24 years experience of administrations of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Otti is of the Labour Party.

Among his activities as governor include the exposure of grey areas in previous administration, especially as concerns his immediate predecessor, Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu.

Otti had alleged while making a presentation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Washington DC, United States that a forensic audit revealed how the immediate past government of Abia State released some funds to some contractors to handle the construction of a state-owned airport and other infrastructure believed not to be in existence.

But Ikpeazu denied through his spokesman, Onyebuchi Ememanka, tagging the report as a tissue of lies, intricately woven by a spin doctor to deceive his audience. He also said that Otti has deep hatred for him, and has targeted him for attacks.

The statement reads in part, “Our attention has been drawn to trending reports of a speech delivered by the Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti at a forum somewhere in the United States of America, wherein he made certain allegations against his predecessor in office, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, bothering on financial malfeasance.

“Ever since leaving office as Governor of Abia State for two consecutive terms, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has carried himself with the dignity his present situation in life demands and has, as a matter of personal policy, avoided any confrontation with the present Governor and his administration.

“At best, what Dr. Ikpeazu has authorized are clarifications whenever the current administration seeks to misinform the public about what transpired during the last administration. Clear instances of these abound and a few of them shall be highlighted later in this release…”

Most other loyalists of the former as well as PDP apologists, including a group that called itself Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy, have also criticized Otti for his statement.

In a letter signed by a member of the group’s board of directors, Ukpai Ukairo, they demanded “A copy of the Forensic Audit Report which Governor Alex Otti, the Executive Governor of Abia State referred to and relied upon in his Town Hall Meeting in the United States of America to allege that His Excellency, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration paid billions of Naira for an airport and to un-named contractors…”

It is imperative to note that Mr. Ukairo has been the Legal Adviser of the South East PDP.

But the Abia State governor, has again said he will soon make public the forensic audit report which indicted his predecessor, of diverting billions of state funds meant for projects to individual company accounts.

He also said the immediate past administration transferred the said N10 billion airport funds into 32 different company accounts before it was shared, adding that the money had already been transferred out of the state government account before they approached the Abia State House of Assembly for approval.

The governor’s clarification came on the heels of the previous statement in the US, and the reactions that followed, This was during his monthly media chat, tagged “Governor Alex Otti Speaks to Abians” held at Government House Umuahia on Thursday.

While noting that the denial of the former governor was not unexpected, Otti pointed out that it was reported in the media, that instead of denying spending the fund, they then claimed that they used it for road construction which is against the evidence available.

According to the governor, the management of the company (FEROTEX Construction Company) has admitted that the company never applied to be awarded the aborted airport project under the past administration

He maintained, however, that when the report would eventually be published, the rest of the work would be handled by security agencies, insisting also that his interest is for the money to be refunded rather than taking anyone to jail.

“The immediate past governor’s denial is not unexpected. When it was announced, they went to the media abusing the government and saying that the government lied.