By Kelechukwu Ezumaibe
Otti is about to jet off again, this time to the UK.
Just a month ago, Governor Alex C. Otti was in the USA on a futile visit that offered Abians zero value. He had already travelled to Rwanda, and Hungary before then.
His recent visit to the US was nothing more than a visit to:
1. Justify the several hundreds of millions of Naira he had already spent on international travels and training.
2. To divert the attention of Abians from the analysis of Q1 2024 Budget Performance Report, which was about to be published, where his government claimed tens of billions of Naira for projects which don’t exist anywhere.
While in America, he had no bilateral business meetings, no meeting with any foreign investor, no business discussion with any known corporate entity, It was more of a pleasure trip for him.
In his speech at Johns Hopkins University, he couldn’t tell his audience how he has improved governance in Abia. He couldnt say how has improved the productivity of the civil service, or how he has grown the economy, or how many new businesses he has attracted to Abia, or how he has reduced unemployment or under-employment in the state, or how many new jobs he has created directly or indirectly, or how he has partnered with the private sector investors to create jobs in the state, or how he has improved the state’s education or health systems. He couldnt talk about how he has introduced innovation in governance or invested in innovation or established new trade frontiers or how has improved industrialisation or food security in the state. It appears that HE SIMPLY WENT TO IMPROVE HIS POLITICAL CAPITAL.
A month after that zero-value visit, he is about to go off again, now to the UK, on another futile, self serving visit, which will cost Abians more hundreds of millions of Naira of public funds.
As usual, Ikpeazu will be the subject. We don’t expect business meetings, trade discussions or any events or trade deals that will add value to Abians. Those who arranged this show are now smiling to the bank.
In 9 months, he has claimed over N1.1bn on travel expenses, and this does not include his travel allowances, which runs into hundreds of millions of Naira. This is despite claiming N2.8bn for cars that barely exist anywhere, and several hundreds of millions for maintaining and fueling the new cars.
His sojourn reminds me of a certain Okezie Ikpeazu, who embarked on similar jamborees to USA, China, Spain, South Africa, Egypt, UK, Australia, France, etc., squandered billions of Naira of Abia’s funds, and returned home empty handed.
Governor Otti now appears to become Johny Walker 2, yet he has forced retirees to forfeit their retirement benefits, has sacked thousands of Abia workers whose salaries do not exceed N40k per month, and continues to play on the minds of Abians.
Just as he told us that Ikpeazu left him no money, when the man actually left him cash of N3.5bn, $50m loan to be drawn drawn and others, no one will be surprised that he will accuse Ikpeazu of more things at Cambridge, while Abians clap for him.
Abia has been very unlucky with leadership!
We are still waiting for the Hungarian partners!
Unfortunately, ignorants and ethnic bigots will defend this charade, and call me names.