LG Elections: Elect those who will enthrone good governance, Otti urges Abians
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Ahead of the forthcoming Local Government elections in Abia State, Governor Alex Otti has urged Abia electorate to support and vote candidates who share the same development vision with him, irrespective of party affiliation.
Governor Otti was speaking while commissioning the newly rebuilt Aba South Local Government Area’s Administrative Office complex which was destroyed during the 2020 #Endsars# protest in the Enyimba City; and the refurbishment of emergency ambulances.
The event took place at the Aba South Local Government Headquarters where the Governor stressed the need for good governance, especially at the grassroots and urged the people to participate actively in the leadership process for this goal to be realised.
“Effective administration at the local governments is very important for our holistic development agenda,” Governor Otti said.
“I will therefore invite you to participate actively in the process (the forthcoming local government elections) by asking questions about the candidates and supporting those who share in the vision of our development agenda.”
“Like I have always known, Abia people go for the right candidates despite platform. We must continue to seek out the right people.
“One thing I can assure you is that ABSIEC (the state’e electoral umpire) will be given all the necessary support to conduct a hitch-free exercise on November 2nd” the Governor added.
The Governor noted that while it is true that violence and destruction should have no place in a democratic society, responding to the fallouts of crisis when they occur requires responsive leadership and described the failure to restore the symbolic Aba Town Hall and the Administrative Block of Aba South LGA since the 2020 #Endsars# protest as unfortunate story.
He commended the Mayor of Aba South LGA, Uche Nwogu, for not only rebuilding the edifice but completing it in record time.
“The difference between today and yesteryears is that we now have a leadership that appreciates the historical and social importance of these facilities,” the Governor noted.
“Today’s event speaks to the determination of the Mayor of Aba South LGA and his team to provide the right ambience for effective service delivery to members of the public. This Project aligns perfectly with the “rebuild and restore” agenda” he added.
Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, at the occasion, thanked the Governor for assisting in ensuring that the office complex was rebuilt.
He used the opportunity to restate that the state was still under the control of Labour Party and called for a sustainable support to the Governor, maintaining that if there are differences in the party, it would be resolved.
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Mayor of Aba South LGA, Chief Uche Nwogu, recalled how dilapidated the office complex was, especially after the #End Sars# protest few years ago and said that he tapped from the administrative style of Governor Otti to rebuild and make the office a beautiful edifice.
Chief Nwogu said that his plan for the Council was to run it like a private enterprise where the Council would become self-sustaining and no longer depend on federal allocation to managing its affairs.
He thanked the Governor for his assistance in achieving the great feat, describing him as an apostle of transparency and good governance.
Also, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Homeland Security, Mr. Chukwunenye Alajemba, highlighted the importance of rebuilding the emergency service ambulances.
Alajemba informed the gathering that the rebuilt Abia State Emergency Tripod System which integrates fire service, security and medical emergency provisions was a state-of-the-art emergency system of world class standard.
Earlier, an Aba resident and President of Aba Sports Club, Sir Chris Agbo, had saluted Governor Otti’s commitment to giving Aba a face-lift and commended the Mayor of Aba South for the transformation he has carried out at the Council headquarters.