Columns/Opinions/Letters

ABIA’S ACHIEVEMENTS CANNOT BE ERASED BY ULTIMATUM: KALU KALU MUST RESPECT ARISE NEWS’ INDEPENDENCE Kalu Kalu’s letter turns a request for verification into an attempt to dictate a newsroom’s decisions. Its central demand is indefensible: accept his sponsored trip within seven days or retract favourable statements about Governor Alex Otti’s infrastructural performance. A politician’s deadline is no test of truth. Abia State’s projects do not cease to exist because ARISE News declines a travel sponsorship. Roads cannot be wished away by correspondence, and public achievements cannot be cancelled by a candidate seeking electoral advantage. Port Harcourt Road, Aba, provides a…

RESOLUTIONS OF UKWA NGWA APPOINTEES SERVING IN DR ALEX CHIOMA OTTI’S ADMINISTRATION We, the undersigned sons and daughters of Ukwa la Ngwa who are appointees of the administration of His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, Governor of Abia State, having noted with grave concern, the very disjointed and politically motivated narratives flying around in the social media, especially those creating the wrong impression that the people of Ukwa la Ngwa are against this administration, we hereby unequivocally state as follows - That we wholeheartedly identify with the visions and policies of the administration of our Son, His Excellency, Governor…

SIGNATURE BANK: PRODUCE THE EVIDENCE, STOP CAMPAIGNING WITH CONCLUSIONS This argument is defective at its foundation: it presents an allegation, assumes the missing evidence, and announces a verdict. You cite a CAC status report without presenting it, its date, the shareholding figures or the ownership structure. Then you leap from alleged share ownership to the sweeping claim that “all Abia State contracts and payments” are directed to Signature Bank. A corporate ownership record cannot establish where government funds are deposited or how contracts are paid. Where is the circular compelling contractors to use Signature Bank? Where are the treasury records,…

AS ABIA MOURNS FALLEN HERO SQUADRON LEADER AHAMEFULE AHAM MAN-UGWUEJE, GOVERNOR OTTI REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO WORKERS’ WELFARE, ACCOUNTABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT ACROSS ALL 17 LGAs By AProf Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke Abia State Government mourns Squadron Leader Ahamefule Aham Man-Ugwueje, a distinguished son of Abia whose death in the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ondo State, has brought anguish to his family, colleagues and the nation. His service to Nigeria deserves lasting honour. The administration extends heartfelt condolences to his wife, family and all those bereaved by the tragedy. As reported by The PUNCH on October 6, 2026, Governor Alex…

ABIA’S RECORD CONFRONTS THE RHETORIC: 327 DOCUMENTED ENTRIES ACROSS 17 LGAs By AProf Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke Anyone claiming that the Abia State administration under Governor Alex Otti has done nothing must now confront a record organised by location, project name, implementation status and supporting publication. Sweeping accusations become considerably harder to sustain when the response contains identifiable roads, hospitals, schools, water schemes and community infrastructure. The project catalogue covering 29 May 2023 to 5 October 2026 records 327 entries across Abia’s 17 local government areas. Its significance extends beyond the headline figure: it gives the development debate something concrete to…

AS OTTI PREPARES FOR GLOBAL RECOGNITION, LET THE ABIA DEBATE TURN TO EVIDENCE By AProf Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke On Saturday, October 10, 2026, Abia will command attention in Los Angeles as Governor Alex Otti is honoured at the Afro Awards. According to the News Agency of Nigeria’s October 6 report, the governor has been selected for the Transformative Leadership and Human Development Award. The recognition brings an important dimension of governance into focus: what happens to the people whose work sustains a state? This week’s decisions by Abia State administration offer a timely answer. They concern teachers’ livelihoods, the retention…

Alex Otti and the Battle for Abia’s Future: Development, Dissent and the Politics of Proof By AProf Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke The strongest defence of Governor Alex Otti’s administration begins with evidence: named projects, identifiable locations, dated records and benefits citizens can assess. Abia deserves vigorous scrutiny. It also deserves a political debate in which documented achievements cannot be erased because acknowledging them would inconvenience an opponent. The central argument in our earlier articles remains clear: assess government through demonstrable results. Applying that principle to the allegations now circulating exposes the weakness of sweeping claims that Otti has achieved nothing. THE…