The Abia state Governor Dr Alex Otti while commissioning some reconstructed buildings at Arochukwu local government council at the weekend hinted about his plan to demolish the Government house at Umuahia for a “befitting” Government house as reported by his Chief Press secretary, Mr Ukoha . This announcement has made a lot of Abians to review the Government’s true intention and implications.
Believe Nigerian false Prophets and Prophetesses at your peril. Fears are rife that Abia’ s Governor Alex Otti may have ‘entered ”one chance”, especially by his brazen determination to demolish the iconic Abia Governor’s lodge in Abuja and the Government House in Umuahia. I understand Aba lodge is also not spared while we pray Lagos lodge, opposite Bar beach Victoria Island is not sold to a crony.
Those that believe in what marabouts from Arab or what Prophet and Prophetesses say are quick to run into avoidable mess.
Indeed Politics exposes many to array of suspicion and circumspection but not to the extent of inculcating deep seated fears and resort to uncanny voodoo solutions that negate modest practical christian tenets. Also given that the Governor’s father was widely attested to have lived as a pius Adventist clergy, one would have exonerated Governor Otti as one of those politicians that could easily fall for regular spiritual manipulation by the end time prophetic signs and wonders Pastors.
With the ongoing demolition of the age long Abia lodge in Abuja, built by OUK, Governor Otti seems to have validated the popular rumour that he chose to operate from his Nvosi country home for fear of being killed based on the revelations by his Spiritual contractors. According to the story, ‘once he sleeps inside the Government house located in the capital city of Umuahia or holds the state Executive meeting there he will lose focus.” They allege that this accounts to the hosting of the state EXCO meetings right in his dining room instead of the Government house Umuahia.
As ludicrous as that may sound, one may ask if Umuehim Nvosi is spiritually immune from attacks than the Government house ?
So, his fear is unwarranted and uncalled for especially in these precarious times when Nigerian states can barely meet up their basic expectations to her citizens. The money he will channel to construct new ‘befitting’ Lodge and Government house respectively, instead of modifying what former Governors built to his taste as a ‘billionaire’ , will help offset quantum arrears of unpaid salaries, leave allowances and perhaps expedite the implementation of the new national minimum wage of N70,000 that Edo state has already commenced paying.
The Governor’s action is so provoking. Recall, he hurriedly sacked thousands of Abia workers because he either felt that the wage bill was humongous or they were employed by his foes.
Maybe a complete demolition of the Government buildings would have uprooted the charms buried right into the foundations of those structures built over 24 years ago. If all these speculations are true, then, I will consider such wasteful ventures as a pitiably desperate and hallucinatory display of primitive ignorance .
Abians are also concerned about the possible dent such superstition will leave our age long Christian foundation as ‘God’s own state’ where all cares and fears are left in the hands of God. It’s not that evil men don’t exist in Abia, but their activities have never been brought to prominence, any time in Abia history, as much as this Gov Otti’s government has made them to become. I personally had my own experience while serving but it is not enough to bring Abia to it knees when you are serving a living God.
All the hoax of saving money in his Nvosi home is now a well known fable as the quarterly financial reports have long exposed the deceits.
The Aba lodge is also under lock and key as the Governor uses IBIZA hotel Aba and Transcorp Hilton in Abuja anytime he is not at Umuehim Nvosi. Of course Abia State in its current situation is not fit for such ostentatious and mindless financial exposures. Let salaries of workers,Pensions and arrears be paid instead.
The Governor should be told that his high taste and other ancillary benefits associated with construction should not make his government commit over N25b into reconstruction of Government house at Abuja and Umuahia when we are faced with food insecurity and an impending existential threat of unrest by majority of Nigerian youths.
What happens to over N3.7b already spent on renovations in government house as contained in the Q1 of 2024 Abia state financial report .
His self inflicted fear of death and his conflicted belief in many gods should not be the problem of Abians.Ya gbara ogwu ya ñuo!
Umuahia deserves that capital city status and moving government business to his village is unconscionable. The hospitality industry in both Umuahia and Aba is at its lowest ebb as visitors plan to leave same day since the Governor operates from the village .
The cost implication is unquantifiable as EXCO members are forced to go to his village every Monday for state meetings even security council meetings.
While I pray to God for life and preservation, however, ones personal decisions to believe what his prayer warriors say should not be used to punish Abians.
Obinna Oriaku
Ekwedike
