Former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Abia state, Eze Chikamnayo, has urged Governor Alex Otti against acts and comments that could push Abia to the brink.
Chikamnayo was reacting to comments credited to Otti regarding the appointment of a non-indigene as the Mayor of Aba City.
In the report, the governor was said to have announced the appointment of consummate industrialist, Ide John Udeagbala, as the Mayor of Aba city.
Udeagbala, who hails from Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, is an economist, and graduate of Harvard University.
Making the announcement at a stakeholder meeting at the weekend, Otti said in the viral video that the era of indigenes and non-indigenes is gone in Abia state.
Reacting to the development through a statement issued Monday in Abuja, Chikamnayo urged Tinubu and all the nation’s security agencies to quickly call Otti to order to avoid turning a peaceful state into a crisis zone.
He said; “For the avoidance of doubt, Aba as we know it today, belongs to two related communities known as ‘Aba na Ohazu’.
“It is not a no-man’s land as is being painted by Alex Otti and can never be.
“It is therefore preposterous and mischievous for anyone, no matter his position to arrogate to himself the non-existing powers to mangle this irrefutable fact of history because of temporary political advantage.
“Non-indigenes from other parts of Abia State and or Igbo land like old Bende, Anambra, Enugu, Imo State or Ebonyi, regardless of their wealth or status should never allow themselves to be deceived by Mr Alex Otti to assume that they can mutate into the owners of Aba.
“By recklessly declaring that Aba is a no man’s land, Mr Alex Otti is inadvertently setting Abia on fire and instigating avoidable unrest in that peaceful city. For reasons best known to him, he is ostensibly trying to stoke this fire of indigene/non-indigene dichotomy to further insult the Ngwa Nation and polarize the polity.
“Maybe because of his innate desire to assuage his own internal contradictions that has made him an element with identity crisis hovering between Nvosi and Arochukwu, Otti is now drawing Abia State into needless ‘Katakata’ that will lead to losses if not nipped in the bud.
“Since assumption of office, Mr Alex Otti’s penchant for playing to the gallery is legendary. If he truly wants to patronize his fellow big men like Bourdex, Udeagbara and Co, he must not reduce them to canon fodders thereby setting them up against the people.”
While condemning the statement credited to the governor, the former commissioner said Udeagbala has built a name for himself in Aba and has lived peacefully with the people, hence he shouldn’t allow himself to be messed up by any man.
He stated, “Aba people, Abians everywhere and all peace-loving people everywhere should shun devilish instigations and embrace peace. They should not succumb to the whims and caprices of a confused and rudderless sinking despot clowning in the name of governance.
“Can Mr Alex Otti go to Umuahia and tell Ibeku and Ohuhu people that Umuahia North is a no man’s land? Can he go to Owerri, Onitsha, Port Harcourt, or Warri and make such inflammatory, nonsensical statements?
“I know that the revered members of Aba Sports Club will not allow Mr Alex Otti to gleefully destroy the harmony and conviviality in Aba with his reckless political gymnastics.
“Anything that will destabilize the peace in Aba will destabilize trade and investments in the entire South East and Nigeria.
“I, therefore wish to alert His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, and all the security agencies of this seed of discord which is being sown in Abia so that they can act quickly to prevent the consequences of Mr Alex Otti’s thoughtless policy of divide and rule. A stitch in time saves nine.”
