2027: I don’t subscribe to playing God –Otti …Denies plans to retrench workers
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has declared that he does not want to start discussing what will happen in the 2027 general elections. The Governor said that doing so would amount to playing God.
Governor Otti who spoke during his Monthly Media Chat, used the opportunity to allay fears of workers in the state that plans were in the pipeline to carry out massive retrenchment in the Abia workforce.
On the happenings within the Labour Party, the Governor said the stakeholders meeting held in Umuahia was aimed at restoring peace to the party, adding that he would not sleep over the actions of those who flock to the media to attack him over his efforts to ensure that the party thrives.
When the Governor was asked to react to the comment credited to the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ben Kalu, who, in a recent viral video, said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would determine the outcome of the governorship election in Abia in 2027, and insisted that if Otti hopes to retain his seat, he should join APC, he said he finds it difficult to peep into the future.
In the video, the Deputy Speaker vaunted that he could not be the Number 6 man in the country and another party would be ruling his state, adding that he owed President Bola Tinubu and his party bringing Abia into the APC fold.
“This will be the last time that a Labour Governor will govern Abia State,” Kalu began. “I say it without mincing words. The next governor of Abia State will be APC governor. I say it without mincing words.
“We (Kalu and Otti) are friends, yes; we work together, yes; but I will not be Number 6 Citizen of the country and another party will govern my state. The next election in 2027, APC governor will be there. I have told him (Otti) in person, I have told him publicly and privately, that APC governor will be the next governor of Abia State. How it will happen, I don’t know, but it will happen.”
He added: “I am confident because we are working hard. I am confident because my government is working hard, the President is working hard. And Abia will repay the President.
“The President that has given you South East Development Commission will be repaid; the President that is appointing Abians into (his) administration will be repaid, the President that is allowing attraction of dividends of democracy to Abia will be repaid. We are not ungrateful people.
“Monkey will not work and baboon will chop. APC will not help the state to be strong and then Labour will take the credit and, no, no, no; APC will determine who becomes the next governor of Abia State. I don’t care about who the person is. But one thing I know is that the party platform, APC, will be (produce) the next governor of Abia State. Go and write it somewhere; that we are ready to work for Abia State and we are tired of being outside the government at the centre.
“We need to leverage the power of the centre to increase the development of Abia State. The governor is my friend and he is doing well. Comparatively speaking, from other governors, he is not doing badly within the 100 days in office, I give it to him. I am proud of him, he is my friend. In fact, we spoke today. There is barely a day we don’t’ speak but the issue remains, we have to push for our party to take over the state.”
“I mean I owe Mr. President that and I owe my party that has give me Number 6 position that and I am sure that the Governor knows that I owe my party that and I am sure the Governor would do the right thing at the right time,” the Deputy Speaker said in the two minutes, 21 seconds interview.
Kalu’s interview attracted mixed reactions, with many attacking , while his party members bought into his assertion.
However, Governor Otti, during the September edition of His Media Chat on Friday, September 6, 2024, held at the banquet hall of Government House, Umuahia, was asked to react to the Ben Kalu position. The Governor said he does not want to respond to the Deputy Speaker because no one knows tomorrow.
He said: “It is foolhardy for me to be talking about what will happen tomorrow. I chose not to respond to Ben Kalu’s comment because I believe that power belongs to God, and He gives it to whom He wills. I am not competent to sit here and say what will happen in 2027. I do not subscribe to playing God.”
The Governor added: “No man can play God in the affairs of men, and it is an intentional choice to not peep into that lane at all.
“I know a man who was boasting about what would happen in 2024 and COVID (in 2020) came and took him. That’s why I do not have an answer to what Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, said, as no man can play God.”
On the persisting job security fears among civil servants, the Governor said he has no plan to retrench workers in the state public service.
According to the Governor, he has not thought about the alleged looming retrenchment.
“There is no any massive retrenchment in the pipeline,” the Governor denied.he rather explained that his administration was to enhance the service and improve productivity, which informed Government’s efforts to pay monthly salaries regularly.
He said that government has insisted that workers must come to work and that only those who indulge in truancy should fear losing their jobs because “we have told them that we would not tolerate truancy.”
He re-emphasised his commitment to defraying arrears of salaries owed some institutions in the state. “The debts were inherited and I will pay them. In a few days, those payments will happen,” Governor Otti assured.
Responding to a question on the Labour Party stakeholders meeting in Umuahia which decisions are being opposed by the former National Cahirman of the party, Abure, the Governor explained that the meeting was a move to restore peace in the party.
He added that anyone that followed what happened would notice that people were happy over the outcome of the meeting.
“If it is possible to restore peace in the party, my answer is yes. The meeting we held was to restore peace. Majority of our members are happy with the outcome, only those who were afraid that our decision will affect them are not happy but they are in the minority.
“I believe that what we did was in the interest of the party. We have a vested interest in ensuring that the party will continue to operate as a political party in Nigeria.” Gov. Otti. said.
The health sector, Governor Otti noted, received another boost as the upgraded Eye Clinic in Amachara General Hospital was opened and 600 patients had their eyes checked on the official opening day.
He also disclosed that government has started the Phase 2 of upgrading ABSUTH for optimal service delivery while 200 Primary Health Centres in the state would be retrofitted in 100 days, starting from this month.
“The whole idea is to ensure that wherever you live or come from, you will have a Primary Health Centre that will cater for your health,” he said.
On education, the Governor reported that government has commenced training of 2000 Master Trainers of teachers who would in turn train others. He added that another group has been equally saddled with the responsibility of looking at the curricula for pupils in the state.
He also disclosed that government was planning to engage a firm which would turn waste to wealth in the state.
“We are at the point of evaluating a company that will be processing waste. Very soon, we will announce it,” he said.
On the intractable border dispute between Isu in Arochukwu local government area and their Cross River neighbours, Otti assured that it would soon be resolved as “our counterparts are favourably disposed to resolving the problem amicably”
