Inauguration: Abia residents set agenda for Otti

Abia residents have begun setting the agenda for the newly inaugurated state governor, Dr. Alex Otti, who took the oath of office at the Umuahia stadium on Monday.

Supreme reports that Otti, who contested the 2023 Abia gubernatorial election under the Labour Party (LP), was declared the winner of the election.

The residents who spoke to the correspondent in separate interviews urged Otti not to allow their joy and relief at the change of political leadership to be short-lived.

A resident, Mr. Mike Mbama, prayed that their joy in Otti’s victory should not turn to sadness through their failure to perform and to deliver dividends of democracy to the Abia people.

He said Otti should start by selecting people with character and competence as members of his cabinet and rejecting toxic influences.

Mbama urged the governor to rehabilitate Abia roads, especially in Aba, to boost commerce between residents and customers from other states and countries.

He further begged Otti to check the multiple taxation of businesses in the state in order to support small and medium-scale industries and boost Abia’s revenue.

Enyinnaya Okeugo, another resident, said that he would want Otti to start with recovering Abia’s sources of funding from crooked and corrupt consultants.

He also said that the governor should recover and revive public schools and hospitals in the state.

“This will ensure our pupils are properly taught and groomed in morals and values that would make Abia’s future better and brighter.

“It would also ensure that our people, both young and old, would be saved from dying from preventable diseases in government hospitals and other places.

Mrs. Gift Samuel, an Aba resident, congratulated Otti and urged him to ensure that aggrieved members of the party he dethroned would not laugh at Abia people through his performance.

"Please, sir, start with the payment of the salaries of Abia teachers and other workers who are owed so they can feed their families.

"Also, ensure you reconstruct Ariaria International Market and other such places that yield revenue to the government so that businesses will progress and they will pay taxes happily”, she said.

Supreme reports that Otti took over the mantle of leadership from the outgoing Abia Governor, Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu.