A sociopolitical organization under the aegis of “Abia Youths for Good Governance” has issued a stern warning to politicians in Abia state, urging them to refrain from heating the polity by spreading baseless accusations against Governor Alex Otti’s administration.
The President of the group, Mr. Chinenye Ukaegbu, gave the warning, on Monday, during a press briefing organized in Umuahia.
He expressed shock and dismay at a recent press conference conducted by a group known as the “Abia Youth Interest Group” in Abuja, which had alleged that Governor Alex Otti was using state funds to support the legal proceedings of the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
Ukaegbu said that Otti was not bankrolling Obi’s court cases and described the allegations as false, malicious and capable of destabilizing the state.
He said that it was unfortunate that young people would allow themselves to be used to advance an agenda geared towards causing chaos in Abia.
“We watched with shocking dismay a senseless charade in the name of a press conference carried out by a group of strange elements masquerading as Abia Youth Interest Group in Abuja three days ago, during which they alleged that the Governor of Abia State, His Excellency Dr. Alex Otti is using Abia funds to sponsor Mr. Peter Obi’s Presidential litigation.
“Though we understand that this group is made up of some jobless and frustrated youths who are victims of bad leadership, we are however appalled that they chose to allow themselves to be used to advance a vicious and dubious agenda geared towards the destabilization of Abia state in pursuit of filthy liquor.
“While we consider this group and their sponsors as unreasonable and inconsequential whose infantile primitive political strategy should not be dignified with a response, we feel constrained to speak and disabuse the minds of unsuspecting members of the public”, Ukaegbu said.
He described Governor Alex Otti as an experienced financial expert who would neither mismanage the scarce resources of the state nor use the state’s fund for any venture that would not contribute to the development of Abia.
Ukaegbu said: “The sponsors of the press conference where the allegations were made are the same elements who sponsored a false story a few months ago and alleged that Governor Otti did not put President Tinubu’s portrait in Government House and that he said he didn’t recognize the president.
“The infantile calculation is that by churning out such despicable and libellous publications, they would incite the Presidency and the president against the governor.
“Unfortunately, those people they want to incite are smarter, more knowledgeable and have better access to information and cannot be deceived”.
Ukaegbu noted that Governor Otti through his rebuilding agenda had made remarkable achievements in the different sectors of the state’s economy which he said, clearly showed his unrelenting resolve to rebuild Abia.
He said that the emergence of Governor Otti as the 5th democratically elected Governor of Abia was a testament that the people had given him their mandate to transform the state and he remains the best man for the job.
Ukaegbu said that it would be disservice to the people of Abia to create a situation that would distract the Abia government and hinder it from delivering the dividends of democracy to the people.
“We wish to use this opportunity to warn that we would no longer sit idly and watch enemies of the state stroke the embers of hate, violence and destruction geared towards holding us perpetually down.
“We would rise and resist these aggressors and their unprovoked aggression,” he said.
Ukegbu therefore called on Nigerians to disregard the unfounded allegations against the Governor and prayed for continued guidance for Governor Otti as he serves the people of Abia.
