Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has firmly declared that his administration will not negotiate with those who he said has contributed to the State’s decline in the past.
He said that individuals who failed in their attempts to lobby for roles in his Government have resorted to blackmail and spreading falsehoods in an effort to force negotiations.
Governor Otti stated this, on Sunday, during two separate church services at The Master’s Vessel Church, Umuahia North, and Power World Ministry Int’l, Umuahia South LGA.
The Governor who cited the biblical verse, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach”, emphasized that while he does not claim personal righteousness, his administration will not engage in deliberate wrongdoing.
“We will not deliberately do the wrong thing. You may hear some people making noise left, right, and center; it is because they are used to things being done in the wrong way, and we have come to say NO”, Gov Otti asserted.
He further clarified that attempts by certain individuals to infiltrate his administration were politely declined saying that darkness and daylight have no meeting points.
“So, if you bring something that is wrong to us, we are not afraid to say no.
“Some of them have resorted to attacks in the media. They started by applying – you need us to run a government, we politely declined to say darkness and daylight have no meeting points.
“And the next thing they do is to start attacking you thinking you would call them for negotiations.
“We are not doing anything wrong. Ours is a government that has integrity; we will never negotiate with criminals”, Governor Otti stated.
The Governor who reiterated his commitment to restoring the dignity of Abians, recalled the State’s proud legacy of hard work and self-sufficiency.
He noted that the present administration is focused on creating an enabling environment for businesses and individuals to thrive.
“We are hard-working people; all we require is the enabling environment. Give us roads, give us good drainages, clean the environment, give us power, give us good education, provide good healthcare system, etc”, the Governor emphasized.
He added that providing the needed basic amenities would empower citizens to be self-sufficient and proud of their work and identity.
Governor Otti disclosed that the free and compulsory Education that he declared at the basic and secondary school levels led to the massive enrollment of pupils and students in public schools, which had brought enormous pressure to the poor and inadequate educational facilities in the State.
He announced that he had declared an emergency in the Educational sector and has awarded contracts for the upgrading of 221 public schools across the 184 wards of the State to contain the massive increase in enrollment.
Governor Otti granted the request of Master’s Vessel Church to be reallocated a place to build their parsonage after being shortchanged by the previous administration, who allocated the same land they allocated to them to another person who took them to court and opted for an out-of-court settlement.
The Governor thanked the church for its prayers and support, stating, “When God is with you, it’s difficult to do the wrong thing”.
He assured the congregation that the achievements seen in the past 21 months were just the beginning, describing them as a “dress rehearsal” for greater developments ahead.
In his remarks, Rev. Dr. Umah Ukpai commended Governor Otti for his leadership and developmental strides, describing his performance as “amazingly well”.
He also revealed that he prays for the Governor Otti daily and expressed confidence that the Governor would achieve even greater success.
The church services featured prayers for the Governor, the State Government, and the continued prosperity of Abia State.
