Abia state traditional rulers under the aegis of the State Traditional Rulers Council ( Council ) have tasked the deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon Benjamin to Kanu shun making un-substantiable public statements.
They set the task in a press statement which their Chairman, Eze Linus Nto read out to journalists in Umuahia, the state capital stating that their doing so was sequel to the ongoing war of words between him ( Hon Kalu ) and the state governor, Dr Alex Otti , noting , that the duo are brothers and sons of the state.
They stated that their attention was drawn to the disagreements and brewing crises between the duo stating ” we cannot as royal fathers keep mute and allow the war of words to snowball into uncontrollable crises, which may affect the State negatively if it continues”.
Declaring that ” temperamental and ,unstatesmanly outbursts from the Deputy Speaker of the house of Representatives are not acceptable to Abians, and is hereby condemned, the state royal fathers consequently warned politicians to desist from inciting Abians against Governor Otti, describing him, as a performing governor.
“Politicians should equally wait till 2027 to talk about their electoral cum political businesses and, should not use their ambitions to put Abia State into political turmoil” adding that it is on this premise that they, as custodians of culture call for a cease fire on the ongoing acrimony and unnecessary outbursts.
” We are therefore compelled to appeal to Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu to apply caution and restrain from making statements that may pitch His Excellency the Governor against Mr. President and the people of the State”.
Their statement was jointly signed by His Royal Majesty, Eze Sir Linus Nto Mba (Chairman), their Royal Majesties Eze Nelson Achilefu Nmerengwa 1st Deputy Chairman,
Eze Franklin Nwosu 2nd Deputy Chairman and Eze Uwakwe Ukaegbu 3rd Deputy Chairman.
According to the Rulers Council, it is on record that no Governor in Abia State has demonstrated the political will to fix Abia State more than Governor Alex Otti.
” Just within 2 years and few months in office, Governor Otti has dealt with many dilapidated road infrastructure, cutting across the 3 senatorial zones of the State. He has retrofitted many abandoned health facilities in the State as well as embarked on renovating and functionalizing primary health centres in all the political wards in the State.
” We are equally aware of his efforts in education sector which is unprecedented. He is not only renovating 63 schools, but has employed over 5,000 teachers, and is getting ready to recruit another set of 4,000 teachers. He also made basic school education free and compulsory for children.
“Governor Alex Otti has achieved much in security of the people, he has catered for the welfare of workers and pensioners among other things too numerous to mention.
” Based on what the Governor has done, it is obvious that it is difficult for anyone to believe that the Governor is not doing enough with the statutory allocation he gets from Abuja”.
“We the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers use this medium of addressing journalists in the State to pass a vote of confidence on Governor Alex Chioma Otti OFR, and also urge him to sustain his good works in Abia State.
“Abia is a peaceful State, and we would not tolerate any act of verbal violence that may possibly plunge the State into political crises, even before 2027”.
Hon Kalu had alleged that what governor Otti had done in the state was not commensurate with the state monthly income, which Kalu put at N38 – N40 billion.
Hon Kalu also accused Otti of not giving president Tinubu led federal government credit for contributing to Abia state development, and declared publicly that his APC will dislodge the Otti led administration in the 2027 election.
BY GORDI UDEAJAH
