It was a day of massive outpouring of emotions at Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, as the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in Abia, Dr. Alex Otti, flagged off his local government campaigns at the weekend, with royal blessings and endorsement.
First, it was a duo of elderly pensioners who took the stage to lament how the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu and previous PDP governments, had maltreated them, by denying them their pension and gratuity.
“Pensioners are grieving”, Elder S. O. Onwudinjo, who spoke for himself and on behalf of pensioners in the local government, announced in a voice laden with pain. He continued: “We worked for this State and today they call us dead woods. Some of us are owed 46 months, some others 15 months. The last time gratuity was paid to retiring civil servants in Abia State was 2001”.
Turning to the APGA governorship candidate, Onwudinjo declared unequivocally, “We are going to vote for you. We will vote for APGA”, adding with optimism, “We know that you will pay us our outstanding”.
Speaking to the large crowd that over-ran the venue of the rally, Otti told them that the problem Abia had was the fact that political leadership in the state had been handed to a greedy few. “The problem we have in Abia State is that we gave leadership to greedy people; brigands. When they finish, they hand over to their godsons”, he said.
According to him, it was because of the suffering in Abia State that he decided to join politics. “Today, I bring you good news. You have heard about the pensioners. But I tell you, the Egyptians you see today, you will see them no more”, he announced, as the excited crowd burst into praise song.
He wondered why Okezie Ikpeazu was asking for a second term in office, when he could not fulfil the very basic of his function, payment of workers’ salaries. “He can’t have another four years”, Otti fired defiantly, adding, “Abia is owing N91 billion. Is there anything in the state that suggests that N91 billion has been spent in the state? Abia has been mortgaged and they will tell us to read the sign (Ikotala sign), are we dumb that we cannot speak?”
At the palace of His Royal Majesty, Eze Prof. S. I. Nwankwo, the Digbo 1 of Umuaku, Umunneochi Local Government Area, where the council of Ndi Eze from Umunneochi, gathered to receive Dr. Otti, it was another round of open declaration of support.
Addressing the capacity-filled royal hall, venue of the reception, Eze Nwankwo, the Chairman Umunneochi Traditional Rulers Council, thanked the APGA candidate and his team for being the first set of political groups that would visit his domain. He praised Dr. Otti for his doggedness and for continuing to pitch his political tent with APGA, unlike some politicians who easily change parties when things do not go their way.
He recalled that the people of Umunneochi voted APGA for the gubernatorial election in 2015 and assured that they were going to do the same, this time around. “But one thing we ask of you is to please defend our vote”, he appealed, in a rather subdued tone.
Eze Nwankwo told his visitors that the traditional rulers were suffering and pleaded with Dr. Otti that he should not forget them, when he eventually gets to the Government House, in May 2019. He also recalled how Dr. Otti was instrumental to the establishment of the only First Bank branch in Umunneochi.
He asked his fellow Ezes and all others present to stretch forth their hands and pray for the APGA governorship candidate, his wife, Mrs. Priscilla Otti and his entourage, including the deputy governor candidate, Dr. Uche Eme-Uche, APGA senatorial candidate for Abia North, Chief David Ogba Onuoha, the candidate Isuikwuato Federal House, Chidera and the candidate, Umunneochi State House, Chaka Chukwumerije.
