Abia PDP to Governor Otti: Publicize the List of 90 Roads You Claimed to Have Rehabilitated | #NwokeukwuMascot

 Politics 

Abia PDP Demands Governor Otti to Publicize List and Costs of the Rehabilitated 90 Roads | #NwokeukwuMascot

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The Abia State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged Governor Alex Otti to provide a comprehensive list of the 90 roads he claims to have rehabilitated. The demand follows Otti's recent statement during his address to the people of Abia State.

In a press statement signed by Elder Abraham Amah, Abia PDP Vice Chairman and Acting State Publicity Secretary, the party urged well-meaning Abians, including members of the Labour Party, to compel the governor to disclose the specifics of his road rehabilitation efforts.

Titled “ALEX OTTI SHOULD PRODUCE THE LIST OF THE 90 ROADS HE REHABILITATED FOR ABIANS TO VERIFY,” the statement criticized Governor Otti for what the PDP described as inaccurate and unverified claims. The PDP argued that Otti’s claims are part of a pattern of misinformation intended to mislead the public.

“The attention of the Abia PDP has been drawn yet again to one of the many incorrect and unverifiable claims by Abia governor Alex Otti, which only serves to perpetuate his Nazi-style propaganda methods meant to confuse and deceive the good people of Abia State. This time, Alex Otti claimed to have rehabilitated 90 roads in the last year, during his last address to Abians.

“The Abia PDP challenges governor Alex Otti to produce a list of the said 90 roads he rehabilitated and the costs associated with the road contracts, as well as show proof that due process and the provisions of the Abia Public Procurement Act were followed in the award of the contracts. The government of Alex C. Otti has never published the cost of any road except to confirm our information on the Port Harcourt Road Aba project, which was re-awarded at the whopping cost of N30b, and that continues to attract public outcry due to its variance with conventional road costs of that nature. In this case, we challenge Alex Otti to take a cue from the national leader of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi—on whose back Alex Otti rode to victory—who always says, 'Go and verify.' Alex must release the list so that Abians can verify it. And this is what he must do if he wants Abians to take him seriously.

“It should be recalled that in 2019, candidate Alex Otti confirmed during a debate that he received a list of road projects done by the Ikpeazu administration, verified independently, and confirmed the number and length of the projects.

“The call on Alex Otti to produce the list has become necessary because the figures that come out of the Abia State quarterly expenditure reports are not only shocking and offensive but also speak to the unconstrained frittering of Abia funds. Some of the expenditure subheadings like N11.5b for the governor's office, N3.4b for the building of an ICT Centre, N3.7b for office buildings, N4.7b for public schools, N2.8b for governor's vehicles, N2b for hospital facilities, and N1.6b for agricultural facilities sound like fairy tales because we cannot find these infrastructure projects in Abia State, except for the governor’s office, which is illegally located in Alex Otti’s private home.

“Relying on what happened in the past concerning Abia’s 3.5% investment in the Geometric Power Plant, the false claim of paying nine-year pension arrears, the deceit on financial process review turned forensic audit, N3.5b the previous administration left in the state coffers, fake payment to Innoson Motors for vehicles for House of Assembly members, and more, which the governor publicly lied about, it is difficult for Abians to believe his claims about rehabilitating 90 roads, especially as they cannot see those roads, and therefore demand proof from their governor.

“In the last year, Abians have become used to the unrepentant character of the governor and his aides, who are in the habit of telling lies at all times, even when it is totally unnecessary. The immediate consequence is that Abians now disbelieve whatever comes from their desks until they verify those claims.

“Abians are fully aware that the previous PDP administration was in the habit of making public its claims about road construction by publishing the names of the roads it constructed, and always followed due process in the award of contracts. That is the true essence of governance, which rests squarely on transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business.

“Abia PDP calls on elders of the State, the Labour Party, and all well-meaning Abians to prevail upon Governor Alex Otti to make public the list of the 90 roads he rehabilitated and the costs; otherwise, we will take it that he has lied to Abians as usual, and this pattern is truly disgusting and unacceptable to the good people of Abia State.

"PDP: Power to the People,” the statement concluded.