Nothing Wrong Running Government From Private Residence, Abia Govt Insists

The Abia State Government has responded to criticisms that Governor Alex Otti is running the affairs of the state from his private residence instead of the Government House in Umuahia.

Speaking during an interview on channels television morning brief programme on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, insisted that “being a governor doesn’t mean one should operate where pigs should be reared”.

He made this comment while dismissing threats by critics to drag the governor to court over his operational base.

THE WHISTLER reports that last week, a team of former governors, legislators and political appointees in Abia State, who served between 1999 and 2023, indicated readiness to sue Governor Alex Otti for operating from his private residence in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South LGA.

The decision was taken during the second meeting of the group, at the residence of the former governor Theodore Orji.

Members of the team include ex-governors Orji Uzor Kalu, Theodore Orji and Okezie Ikpeazu, among others.

In the communique issued by the team after the meeting on Friday, the group said the lawsuit should be used to compel Otti to relocate from his personal house and operate from the Government House in Umuahia.

“A lawsuit should be instituted compelling Governor Alex Otti to operate from the Government House, Umuahia,” the communique said.

However, Ekeoma says such arguments are misplaced and politically motivated as the focus of governance should be on functionality, not optics.

According to him, the Government House was inherited in a state of serious dilapidation, making it unsuitable for effective governance at the time Governor Otti assumed office.

He said the governor has since prioritised rebuilding the facility rather than subjecting workers and officials to what he described as an unfit environment.

“Now, Governor Alex Otti has rebuilt the banquet hall, he holds meetings here regularly, but he operates from his house. And there is nothing wrong with that. So, they can go to court.

“We shall meet them in court. If they had not left the local government and what you call it, the government house in that state of delapidation, we wouldn’t be here.

“Actually, being a governor does not mean that you now operate where pigs should be reared. No.

“The governor is more interested in creating an enabling environment where workers will operate, not his own comfort. He has a comfortable home before becoming a governor. He comes to the banquet hall.

“The governor’s lodge and the governor’s premise and the rest of them, I think offices have been built by the same government. So, when they say the governor is not operating from government house, I do not know what they mean,” he said.

On another note, the former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Don Ubani, who was also present during the programme, accused the Otti administration of poor governance, lack of transparency, and relying on media hype.

Speaking, Ubani insisted that the government had exaggerated its achievements, particularly regarding smart schools and taxation, claiming that excessive taxation has forced many businesses in Abia to shut down.

He questioned reported expenditures running into billions of naira, saying many of the projects listed on government websites were not visible on the ground.

While acknowledging some level of development, Ubani also argued that governance was a continuum and accused the current administration of discrediting past governments unfairly.

However, Ekeoma rejected the allegations. He said Ubani’s claims were unsupported by facts and driven by politics, stressing that governance must be assessed by verifiable outcomes rather than rhetoric.

He said critics misunderstood the budgetary and performance reports as many of the projects referenced were ongoing and not yet completed.

He maintained that the government had not made false claims and invited the media to independently verify projects across the state.

Furthermore, he accused Ubani, who served in several past administrations, of misrepresenting developments in the state, arguing that Abia had witnessed significant transformation under Otti.

He cited the reconstruction of Port Harcourt Road in Aba, which he said had been abandoned for over 25 years despite funds being released by previous governments.

He said houses demolished during earlier attempts were not compensated until the current administration intervened.

According to him, the Otti administration rebuilt the road in record time and paid compensations to affected residents.

He also pointed to infrastructure projects in Abia North, including the restoration of electricity to parts of Ohafia after more than five years of blackout, ongoing road constructions, and the development of the Abia Industrial and Innovation Park, where over 1,000 landowners have reportedly been compensated.

Ekeoma further stated that Governor Otti inherited massive salary, pension and gratuity arrears across tertiary institutions and government agencies upon assumption of office.

This includes 34 months salary arrears at Abia Polytechnic (now Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic), 15 months at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, 11 months at Abia State University, Uturu, and 27 months at the College of Education Technical which he said the administration has since cleared this arrears.

He also highlighted the recruitment of over 5,000 teachers, with plans to engage an additional 4,000, describing it as part of efforts to revive the education sector after years of neglect.