L-R: Secretary to Abia State Government, Prof. Kenneth Kalu and Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, during the Media Chat
Delivering democracy dividends, more important than where I operate from – Otti
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
For the umpteenth time, Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has explained why he was not operating from Government House but from his private residence, saying he places more value on developing Abia than his personal comfort.
Governor, Otti, during his second Monthly Media Chat held at Banquet Hall of Government House, Umuahia, on March 5, 2025, said his decision to prioritize fixing infrastructure above renovating the Government House was based on careful allocation of scarce resources.
Responding to a question on why he has been working from his private home in Nvosi in Isiala Ngwa South local government area of the state, instead of retrofitting and relocating to Government House in Umuahia, the state capital, the Governor insisted that his priorities were delivering results to Abians and not where he operates from.
“You are worried that I am not operating from here (Government House). I don’t think you should worry about that. The important thing is that I’m operating.
“Abians want to see activities not where their Governor is staying. Where I live is not as important as having roads in Aba and Umuahia and other local government areas in Abia State.
“It is not as important as ensuring that Aba and Umuahia, particularly, are kept clean on a 24-hour, seven-day basis. It is not as important as ensuring that our people have good hospitals to go to. It is not as important as ensuring that our schools are fixed. Those were the areas I declared state of emergency on. I didn’t declare emergency on Government House and where the Governor will live.
“So, what the issue is, is that this Government House is important but not as important as some of the things that I mentioned earlier,” he said.
The Governor further explained that his decision to delay moving into the Government House was based on careful resource allocation, and reassured Abians that the state’s seat of power would be fixed in due course, not just for his administration but for future Governors.
“When I inspected both the Governor’s Lodge and the Governor’s Office, they were in terrible states of disrepair, vandalized and looted. Renovating them requires significant funds, but I considered it more urgent to channel those resources into infrastructure, security, health, environment and education.
“I can assure you that in no distant time, since we have taken care of those important areas, we’ll come here and fix it (Government House), he said.
The Governor’s decision to operate from his private residence has stirred contentious debates since he assumed office as Governor of Abia State, being the first Governor to do so in God’s Own State.
While a school of thought holds that as Governor, he should use Government House where the public could access him, as not many people would like chasing him to his private home, others believe that where the Governor operates from does not matter but of essence were his performance.
Meanwhile, the Governor has directed the Rector of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba, to commence the verification of staff members who were dismissed by the previous administration while being owed salary arrears.
Governor Otti who gave the directive during the Monthly Media Chat tagged “Governor Alex Otti speaks to Abians,” said the move was aimed at ensuring that the affected workers receive their entitlements.
“I have directed the Rector of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic to start the process of verifying staff of the school who were sacked by the previous government while being owed salary arrears, so that we can get them paid,” the Governor said.
