Dr. Alex Otti who is contesting to be governor of Abia State on the platform of Labour Party of Nigeria
come march 11, 2023 is aware that the common belief prevalent in all right thinking quarters of Abia
State is that our dear God’s own State by all intents and purposes deserves to have recorded more
development milestones than what the present situation is. This belief comes true from whatever angle
anybody might have to be arguing from.
For example, some of the best minds and brains who contributed greatly to the development of
Nigeria generally can be traceable to present day Abia State. The likes of General Aguiyi Ironsi, Nigeria’s
first military Head of State, Dr. Michael Okpara, former premier of Eastern Nigeria, Dr. Alvan Ikeoku,
Nigeria’s foremost educationist, Senator Jaja wachukwu, former Nigeria’s Foreign Minister in the first
Republic, Prof. Eni Njoku and others just to mention a few.
With the wide array of brilliant Professionals and other people who blessed Nigeria in various
ways in the past, Abia as a state obviously deserves more meaningful development instead of our
present backwardness created by a set of unthanking and unaccountable leadership perpetrated by
some persons who pretend to have some good intentions for the larger public when their original
interest is their personal selfish ends thereby forcing our people to exist along medievial lines in today’s
digital age.
A mere overview of the environmental health situation of the state’s two majors cities of Aba
and Umahia that was supposed to have significantly improved to better standards will shock any keen
observer or even tourists and visitors who come here for various purposes. This scenario shocks Dr. Alex
Otti even more. For instance the State’s Environmental Agency which is saddled with the huge
responsibility of carting away refuse and other forms of wastes generated in houses, shops, offices,
markets and industries whose services are levied on citizens and residents in the forms of environmental
rates and sanitation taxes have left the public grossly disappointed as their primary concern all the time
revolves around revenue collection instead of service delivery.
Reports emanating from various parts of our metropolies at every point in time prove that
agents purportedly charged by government to collect sanitation levies have unleashed terror and
mayhem on residents and business owners in the cities. These agents sometimes with the active
connivance of some unpatriotic law enforcement agents and thugs invade residential and business
premises, chasing and arresting individuals sometimes ordinary passersbye merely accused of such
bogus sanitation levies and taxes.Most if not all of the time, these individuals so arrested on purported
court orders are never brought to such courts but rather taken straight into police custody or even other
private detention cells and camps and made to pay large sum of money to regain their freedom.
Even a visit to some of the Local Government Areas of the state also paints the same picture of
dilapidation and displeasure as almost all the projects embarked upon by both past and present
administrations do not function beyond orchestrated flamboyant commissioning. Some of these
projects are water boreholes, Garri processing plants and skill acquisition centers.
These multi-million naira projects are offen seen as conduit pipes for the mismanagement of
public funds. There are no public conveniences built and maintained by these local councils or
authorities. Those existing are below acceptable standard, provided in goodwill by individuals and
humanitarian organizations. Roads constructed several years behind have not been maintained.
Through the state government has taken over refuse disposal all these years, the local councils
still awards contracts to sanitation agents who with the connivance of unpatriotic law enforcement
agents, extort money from residents without rendering the expected services even though that local
government councils have other constitutional and legitimate means of revenue generation such as
liquor licences, market fees and other such collections. However, all these are hampered by
mismanagement and corruption.
Dr. Alex Otti observes with utter dismay and palpable pain, the state of our motor parks and
markets in the state. For instance, in an ideal situation, a motor park, or loading bay has been likened to
be a conducive and well-organized place just like a commercial passenger airport, offering facilities for
comfort, convenience and relaxation rather than the current ones operated in our cities and local
government areas which generally paint a picture of decay and disorder where essential facilities are
dilapidated or completely lacking, and it is not uncommon to find commuters and transport operators
alike using available corners as point for public convinicences.
Highly economically important places like Ariaria international market motor park evokes image
of utter neglect and degradation. The breakdown of all facilities including drainage line hampers the free
flow of flood water, leaving the park marshy, soggy with filth and puddles of stagnant water.
What about the markets in the state where our population access every other day for their
commercial and domestic needs? In these places the provision of adequate and functional toilet
facilities is supposed to be paramount to cater for the teeming human traffic. But yet still, they remain
inadequate and unsanitary despite the fact that tolls are being collected for their maintainance.
And due to this official government negligence, available spaces at these markets and parks
have been converted into public convincences and the stench from human waste continues to make the
environment unhygienic as many spots reveal fresh puddles of urine all the time. These leadership
lapses have caused a situation where most side walks became converted into some sort of open
urinaries while the odour around these places remain suffocating as they reek of urine and human
excreta.
Dr. Alex Otti strongly believes that it is evil to keep silent and do nothing in the face of this
travesty of justice continually meted out to our people. The truth remains that our environmental health
conditions in Abia State matter more than we presently consider.
The Ndigoro flood disaster to a large extent may remain the only problem of flood to have been
tackled in the state due to the determination and sincerity of the Government of Dr. Sam Mbakwe of
the old Imo State. Can the same be said of ifeobara flood disaster currently ravanging the Ariaria
community in Aba the Enyinmba City?. Ndiogoro flood disaster was a heavier ecological case than
Ifeobara by all standards. What can be said to be a meaningful effort by the current Government of the
state to tackle and correct this unfortunate ecological disaster destroying the environment of Aba and
endangering the lives and existence of our people every other day? Rather the present administration is
busy telling lies and avoiding the engagement of a professional construction firm capable of constructing
an underground tunnel that channels the flood water from Ifeobara into the Aba river just like the
Government of Dr. Sam Mbakwe of the old Imo State did at Ndiegoro in the early 1980’s.
The story is the same at Danfodio road by east street also in Aba, Obuda community in Aba
South local Government Area is an endless story of human angish and loss. These areas are constantly
under flood each year worsened by rains. Houses have been submerged with properties running into
billions of naira destroyed and families rendered homeless as they now live under subhuman conditions.
Take for example, in Obuda Community along Uratta road, the flood has sacked majority of the
residents while those without financial resourses to relocate are forced to still live in the same houses
taken over by the flood for several years of undue hardship. Also, most of these houses have been
submerged and abandoned by their owners. At every turn in Aba and other places, pedestrians are seen
wading through dirty flood waters due to the blockage of existing drains by debris, weed and junk in this
avoidable state of severe flooding that has taken over shops, business premises and homes. A
government headed by Dr. Alex Otti can never allow this level of human degradation, suffering and
torment where in many cases several large trucks have lost their balance and over turned littering the
road with goods and other valuable items.
Despite the poor network of roads and severe flooding in Aba, after heavy torrential rains, most
streets are adorned with water puddles and pocket of gathered rain water which many at times covers
pedestrians right of way. People are forced to wade through, jump or climb improvised stones or plank
bridges and sometimes walls and fences to get to their homes. Residents who own cars living in such
locations are compelled to pack their cars a mile or two away from their destinations and then walk
home.
Don’t forget that a good number of residents in the process of trying to access muddy walk ways
have missed their steps and found themselves falling head long into stale water in the drainage akin to
wading through sewage. The toll of health hazards created by this type of living cannot be described
enough even when some pedestrians fall into open man-holes deliberately left by government and
drown in the violent running drain floods.
However, Alex Otti government in Abia state will as a matter of urgency, tackle the perennial
flooding and rehabilitate all bad roads in Aba and other cities to reduce this culture of human sufferings
and also make the ariaria international market including ngwa road market [ahia ohuru] to measure up
with the most modern amenities found in Tejuosho market in Lagos and the Jos international market
which remains reference points on how modern trading places are designed.
These and many more are the vital issues why Dr.Alex Otti is driven to govern Abia, GOD’s Own
State in other to commence the correction of this monumental damage caused by the past and present
leadership. This and others issues are the reason for us to troop out in mass with our PVC’s on election
day 11, march 2023 to the various polling units in the state to vote for Dr. Alex Otti of the labour party
on the ballot column recognizable by the picture of a family of a man, woman, and child otherwise
knowns as papa, mama and pikin.
God bless you and your family as you do this!