Gov Otti’s Spokesman Under Fire for Calling Abians “Lunatics” Over ₦54bn Schools Project | #NwokeukwuMascot

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Abians have erupted in outrage after Governor Alex Otti’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, described citizens demanding accountability over a ₦54 billion schools project as “lunatics on the loose.”

The uproar follows the Otti administration’s claim that it retrofitted 51 schools across the state at the cost of ₦54 billion. However, weeks after the announcement, residents have continued to demand the names and locations of the supposed schools, insisting that the projects are invisible on the ground.

Rather than providing clarification, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha mocked the calls for accountability, branding concerned citizens as mentally unstable.

The remark immediately sparked backlash, especially on Facebook, where hundreds of Abians condemned what they called “arrogance in government” and “an insult to the very people whose taxes funded the project.” Many argued that the CPS’s statement reflects the true character of Governor Otti’s administration.

“This is what you get when you employ touts as image makers,” one critic fumed. Others accused the government of peddling “phantom projects,” citing previous controversies such as the ₦6.4 billion allegedly spent on recreational facilities and the ₦3 billion claimed to have gone into an ICT centre both of which, they argue, have not been seen anywhere in the state.

Civil society groups and political stakeholders have since joined the call for Governor Otti to publish a detailed list of the 51 schools allegedly retrofitted and provide verifiable evidence of how ₦54 billion was spent.

Analysts say Ukoha’s outburst has further eroded public confidence in the Otti administration’s transparency claims, warning that dismissing legitimate questions with insults only deepens suspicions and widens the gap between government and the people.