Governor Alex Otti, and Wife, Priscilla, with the couple, Clement Owunna Jnr., and wife, Chinelo
Why I resigned my lucrative banking job for politics – Otti
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has disclosed that he struggled for almost 10 years after giving up his lucrative banking job for politics.
Governor Otti added that he plunged into the murky waters of politics because of his fear that he would not have a home to return to after retiring from the bank which fired his resolve to liberate and build a model state for all residents, who, irrespective of their home states of origin, would not only be recognized, but accorded the status of a bona fide Abian.
He said that it was for this reason that he was determined to make Abia a model State that does not discriminate against people based on where they come from, maintaining his stance that so long as you live, work and pay your taxes in Abia, you are from Abia.
Governor Otti spoke on Saturday, January 18, 2025, in Aba, during the wedding ceremony of the son of Mazi Clement Owunna, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of STARLINE, Clement Owunna Jr., and his wife, Chinelo.
Governor Otti commended Mazi Owunna for not giving up on Aba even when there were compelling reasons to do so.
The Governor emphasized that people like Mazi Owunna who believed that Aba and Abia could be rebuilt that motivated him to give up his well-paying banking Group Managing Director (GMD) job to lead the struggle to liberate Abia.
He said: “You know, in the old structure where they say you are from Imo, you are from Anambra, etc, in that structure, he (Clement Owunna) believed in Abia.
“I said to myself, so, I have stayed here and become a very successful Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, but by the time you retire, there would be no home to go to. So, I sacrificed that job and started struggling for almost ten years, and today, we are here.”
He said that after he took over the reins of power in Abia the first thing his administration abolished was state of origin.
“The first thing we abolished is State of origin. If you stay here, if you live here then you are from here,” the Governor assured, amidst applause from the audience and went on to narrate how he has appointed non-indigenes to exalted positions on merit and they delivered.
He recalled that when he said he was going to appoint Ide John Udeagbala as the Mayor of Aba North, people doubted him, but he appointed him, and he (Udeagbala)went on to transform Aba North Local Government Headquarters in just a year.
He said the same thing happened recently when he appointed Edo-born Benson Ojeikere as the Head of Service of the State; some people said he’s from Edo, hence, should not be appointed.
But the Governor explained that he conducted an examination and oral interviews for the prospective candidates for the position of Head of Service; Mr. Ojeikere came top and was appointed.
“The other day, I appointed somebody as the Head of Service of the State; some people say he is from Edo; I don’t know about that. He came here in 1999 and he has been here. He didn’t come on his own volition. God brought him here through Youth Service, and he distinguished himself as the Best Corper, and he was retained in the Civil Service… And somebody wants to tell me he’s not from Abia State,” he said.
“What we are building here is a model State. No matter what anyone says, we are focused and determined,” he declared.
He described his achievements in the last 19 months as dress rehearsal, assuring that greater things are coming. “What you see in Abia State in the last 19 months is actually what I will call dress rehearsal. You ain’t seen anything yet. I’m not boasting, I know what this State can do. If you come to Aba in the next one year, you would probably not recognize Aba.
“Very close here, there was an abandoned project called Enyimba Hotel. You would probably see a Radisson Blu sitting on it. And then you see a conference center by the side and you see another leisure park opposite it. This is our place, we must fix it”, the Governor vowed.
The Governor encouraged people to prayerfully stick to and work on their dreams, saying that if it does not materialize today, it would happen tomorrow or next.
He thanked the people for being supportive of his administration and assured them that he would never tamper with the Abia’s resources but would use it to fix the state.
A statement by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Citizen Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, indicated that the marriage ceremony attracted very important personalities from all walks of life, including the wife of the Governor, Her Excellency, Mrs. Priscilla Chidimma Otti, who came with her husband.
