Columns/Opinions/Letters

THEY MAY HAVE THE “SQUAD,” BUT LABOUR PARTY HAS THE RECORD A collection of prominent politicians in one photograph may appear formidable, but elections are not won by political photographs, red caps, federal titles or recycled alliances. Elections are won by citizens who compare yesterday with today and decide who has served them better. In 2023, Abians made that comparison. Dr Alex C. Otti, OFR, of the Labour Party secured 175,467 votes, almost twice the 88,529 votes received by his closest opponent. That historic result was not accidental. It was a decisive rejection of the political establishment that had controlled…

ONE FLOOD CLIP CANNOT DROWN OTTI’S RECORD: THE AHIABA UMUEZE FACTS A video showing flooding around Ahiaba Umueze in Osisioma deserves attention. Residents should not be compelled to wade through floodwater, traders should not lose business, and any defective road or drainage system should be inspected and corrected promptly. But accountability must begin with facts—not a dramatic clip, an angry caption and a predetermined 2027 political verdict. The Facebook post claims that the flooding resulted from the government’s failure to construct the road properly and provide effective drainage. Yet the post supplies no engineering assessment, rainfall measurement, drainage map, exact…

NGWA MARKET REFUSE PHOTOS: LET FACTS LEAD, NOT POLITICAL AMBUSH The photographs attributed to Ndoki by East/Ngwa Market behind Enyimba International Stadium show an environmental problem that deserves immediate attention. Nobody defending Governor Alex Otti, OFR, should deny a genuine sanitation failure where one exists. But the post goes far beyond reporting refuse. It uses a few undated photographs to declare that they represent “the true condition of Abia State today” and then calls for Governor Otti’s removal in 2027. That sweeping political conclusion is not established by the evidence presented. FIRST: THE PHOTOGRAPHS HAVE NO VERIFIABLE TIMESTAMP The uploaded…

“A GLIMPSE INTO GOVERNOR OTTI’S REVOLUTIONARY VISION FOR ABIA STATE’S MULTI-TRILLION-NAIRA LAND AND REAL EST INDUSTRY” Emenike Vincent Onyembi has once again demonstrated the value of informed, evidence-based public commentary. Rather than merely applauding Governor Alex C. Otti, OFR, he carefully connects the administration’s ongoing reforms to the recommendations of the 2023 Abia State Transition Council. His intervention reminds us that the true measure of a transition committee is not the elegance of its report, but the willingness of the government to implement its recommendations. The reported digitisation of approximately four million land documents by the Abia State Government represents…

OTTI AND ABIA LGAs: FACTS MUST DEFEAT POLITICAL FICTION This write-up mixes one legitimate demand—greater transparency—with sweeping conclusions that have not been proved. Yes, allocations to local governments have increased nationally. Official FAAC records confirm that councils across Nigeria now receive substantially higher revenues than in earlier years. But increased allocation alone does not prove that Abia’s LGAs are “worse off,” nor does it establish that Governor Alex Otti diverted their funds. Anyone making such a grave accusation must produce audited accounts, bank records or official findings—not political insinuations. Governor Otti has publicly maintained that Abia’s Local Government Administration Law…

ABA FLOODING: PUTTING THE VIDEO IN PROPER PERSPECTIVE The circulating video appears to show temporary flooding after rainfall in a part of Aba. It deserves attention, but it should not be twisted into evidence that Governor Alex Otti’s infrastructure programme has failed. A short video cannot establish the intensity of the rainfall, how long the water remained, whether adjoining drains were blocked, or whether that location is already covered by ongoing drainage works. Governor Otti inherited a city whose roads, drains, canals and planning systems had suffered decades of neglect. Such structural damage cannot be corrected by resurfacing isolated streets.…