Let me begin by stating that the outcome of Oseni’s survey does not reduce the respect many Nigerians have for him as someone who has stood firm in the face of persecution especially from the establishment. Though he has obviously chosen a side which paints a blurry picture of interest in the political arena. But in any event of life, we must recognize as human beings that we are not infallible. We can progress in error but are not allowed to remain in that state of conundrum. It’s therefore important we either agree with facts or make the Osenis understand that his interest is overwhelming his profession.
The outcome of the survey is not surprising to most media people who are aware of the propaganda strategy of Otti’s administration. He has made his government a media government and will always expect accolades from unsuspecting public who are dancing due to proliferation of “treated pictures” posted on social media.
Mr Otti has the right to determine strategies to remain afloat on the media considering the general conclusion of majority of Abians that he is /was overrated. Oseni failed to discuss the parameters that aided the voting process. For instance, Otti is yet to complete any new road amounting to merely 2km in Abia after 5 months. His contracts to Julius Berger is over valued at #30b which leaves a very sour taste in the throats of many Abians and has been difficult to swallow considering that no killometer of road even inside River Niger, can be valued at #5b. Oseni and many unsuspecting public must’ve been hoodwinked to believe Otti awarded a construction of 6 lanes in Umuahia whereas the road is an expansion from 4 lanes of 3km already established and was over valued at #8.1b making it the costliest road project awarded to a local contractor in the world.
From the outcome of the survey, it shows we have two sides of Abians. Those residing in Abuja/Lagos and another category residing in Abia. We are aware that Otti deliberately engaged media influencers in lagos and Abuja whom the government pays handsomely under retainership. The way he believes in his billionaire friends and abroad technocrats, he doesnt pay attention to local bloggers and media houses. They can hit their heads on the wall if they don’t like his style. So, he doles out millions to Lagos X group( formerly Twitter) whose job description is to continuously tweet a less than 500m cemetery road or road maintenance work done along Emelogu on daily basis . They have added celebration of street lightning along less than 2km road to these achievements.
Oseni didn’t see Rivers State Governor that issued out #195b to Julius berger to build 151km new dual carriage road with 3 flyovers and many underground tunnel in a water logged Rivers soil. If you even compare the cost of the PH Ring road and the environment, you will ascertain the level of looting ongoing in Abia road contract brouhaha. In Delta, the Governor awarded contract of #78b to same berger to expand several roads covering over 11kms with 3 flyovers and 6 pedestrian bridge and interchange. No, Oseni didn’t see that. In Anambra, Governor Solid awarded road contracts to local and foreign contractors at #415m-#450m per kilometer.
Interestingly, those who said we should give Otti many years before correcting some anomalies and bad policies in his administration are mute in the face of these praise singing cum award.
Oseni did not ask how FG palliative was distributed in Abia and what the State Government did with the #5 billion that accompanied the trailers of rice. While Rivers and many States including Ebonyi deployed free transport scheme to reduce the impact of subsidy removal, Abia is yet to recover the bags of rice given to commissioners who cornered them for their party members. Unfortunately, Oseni and his voters didnt look in the side of those Governors that utilized those fund and even added stipend to workers salaries but chose the person that is yet to deploy any resource in that regard. Shameful.
The Abia with the capital at Umuahia is totally different from the ones being painted by those influencers who are not resident in Abia. Until Otti does anything tangible, it will amount to deceit to paint a better picture of Abia under him with several pictures of 2km of refurbished road when Enugu Governor Mr Peter Mba has given a contract to complete 44 roads amounting to 71km before December. You heard me right, 44 roads with completion timeline of December.
There is no performance in Abia within the period under review instead lamentations and disappointment even among major party members. They will come open to argue and go indoors to cry. Media should refrain from eulogizing a man who makes every effort to hide cost of projects from the public and has swallowed his vomit on his stand against transparency and accountability which he deceitly rode to power with.
Otti sacked over 7000 workers, series of flip flops in administration. IGR has nosedived from #1b to 600m. His government has been at war with market leaders, Road transport workers & their leadership and civil servants. Pensioners have demonstrated severally over slash in pension amount paid to them. The administration has been characterised by fraud as there is deliberate opaque operations in the finance sector. Manifest conflict of interest in engagement of JB.
If Rufia is aware of all these, he would have known that multiple X users were engaged to vote .Ebonyi State in South East and Enugu are showing better prospects and directions in leadership than the propaganda in Abia…
