A delegation of University of Port Harcourt alumni from the 1980-1989 sets has commended the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, for the remarkable transformation taking place across the state under his leadership.
The Alumni, who are also his contemporaries at the University, were in Abia for a reunion meeting and used the opportunity to embark on a tour of key infrastructure projects executed by the Otti-led administration.
The group tour covered roads such as the Joe Irukwu Way sections 1,2 and 3, Omenuko bridge, Library Avenue, Aguiyi Ironsi Boulevard, and Port Harcourt Road.
Speaking on Saturday during the tour, the leader of the delegation and Former Minister of Transport, Rt.Hon. Rotimi Amechi expressed awe at the transformation of Port Harcourt Road in Aba.
He recalled how, during a campaign visit for former President Muhammadu Buhari, the road was filled with refuse, gaping gullies, and was virtually impassable.
“Seeing is believing. This is incredible. The last time I came here was when we came to campaign for former President Muhammadu Buhari
“We had to walk from one shop to another. There was a whole lot of refuse and then gullies not potholes.
“For him (Gov Otti) to be able to transform the place to what it is ,then we must congratulate him.
“It’s not enough to say he has worked hard, what matters is that the people come out on election day and vote him back so he can complete the good work he has started”, he said.
Amechi noted the Omenuko bridge, a critical link long neglected, was once a death trap, describing it as “a relic of the civil war era”.
He criticized past administrations for allowing the bridge to deteriorate for decades, despite reports of tragic incidents dating back to the 1970s and 80s.
“Why was that bridge left like that all these years. I hear people died there in the 70s and 80s and it was left like that.
“I won’t be a Governor and that road would be like that. It will be one of the first things I will do.
“You will ask whether those who came before him were not Governors of Abia. They should have been able to shoulder that responsibility.
“Again I congratulate him for that”, Amechi added.
Amechi, a former Governor of Rivers State further commended Governor Otti’s choice of contractors, such as Julius Berger and CCECC, citing his own experience working with the firm on several major railway projects across the country.
He questioned how Governor Otti was funding such large-scale projects despite limited resources, and noted that the Governor’s reputation for prudence and zero tolerance for corruption was a key factor.
Also, the Chief of Staff to Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, said that the present administration upholds principles of prudent financial management, zero tolerance for corruption, and commitment to good governance.
Ajagba emphasized that Governor Otti’s background as an economist reflects in his leadership style, where every expenditure is monitored and justified to ensure impactful results.
He noted that despite receiving the same Federal Allocation as other states, the Otti-led administration had achieved remarkable progress through integrity, transparency, and visionary leadership.
Ajagba emphasized that the Governor personally supervises projects and tracks spending to guarantee accountability and called on other Nigerian governors to emulate Otti’s model of governance, adding that such an approach would lead to nationwide development.
In separate interviews with newsmen, some members of the UNIPORT 1980s alumni, commended the present administration for its developmental achievements across the state.
A member of the aAumni group, Dr Chidi Ulelu, expressed satisfaction with the Governor’s performance, noting that he was impressed with the progress achieved in Abia.
Another Alumnus, Mr Ernest Douglas, said the group was proud of Otti as a product of UNIPORT, and urged residents to give him full support to continue his good work.
Also another Alumnus, Mr Duke Odinde, described the Governor as a man of proven integrity and vision, adding that the current progress is only the beginning of greater things to come.
“We’ve known Alex for over 40 years. He is not someone who stops halfway. What Abians are seeing today is just the tip of the iceberg”, he said.
