Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has accused Abia State governor, Alex Otti, of wasting the state resources, adding that he is yet to see any significant achievements since he assumed office.
Speaking during a recent interview with journalists, Kalu, a former governor of the state between 1999 to 2007, claimed that Otti has merely been repainting roads that were originally constructed during his own administration. He also lamented that he has been subjected to insults in Abia because of his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Kalu further stated that he played a key role in Otti’s emergence as governor in the 2023 elections, but made it clear that he would not offer similar support in 2027. According to him, he and his loyalists will instead work for the APC, his party.
The former governor also alleged that the funds allocated to Abia State within Otti’s first four months in office were equivalent to what his own administration received over eight years. He insisted that, unlike during his tenure, he has not seen the construction of any major roads under the current administration.
However, contrary narratives have continued to circulate online. Many reports describe Abia State as being plagued by poor infrastructure and widespread decay between 1999 and 2023, prior to Otti’s administration. There are also longstanding claims that civil servants were owed salary arrears of up to eight months before Otti took over.
Additionally, several major roads in the state, including Port Harcourt Road, Omuma Road, and Obohia Road, were reportedly notorious as death traps, a situation that allegedly contributed to the abandonment of many properties in those areas.
