After Abia State government machinery have inundated Abians with Governor Alex Otti's one year scorecard, a citizen offers his personal perspectives.


Gov Alex Otti 


By Ejikeme Alozie-Nwagboso


The grades are based on my honest views and factual data. If you have a different opinion or data, present your case with intelligent and compelling points. 

Let's get to it.

Propaganda: A+

The administration of Dr. Otti has shown a remarkable talent for propaganda, most notably during budget performance appraisals. The N10bn forensic audit claim is a prime illustration of his diversionary tactics. Dr. Otti is well-versed in the distinction between a process review and a forensic audit, and his deliberate attempt to deceive the public is worthy of an A+ grade.


Relocation of Govt House to village: A+

I am not aware of the legal consequences of transferring a gazetted seat of power from Umuahia to Isiala Ngwa. However, it is evident that Dr. Otti's antipathy towards the previous administration has driven this decision. Although arguments for and against it can be presented, it seems to be a tactic for Dr. Otti to reinforce his village residence with funds belonging to Abia State. It is worth mentioning that he has spent N12 billion in running the governor's office.


Salary payments: B

The administration has shown enhancement in salaries and pensions payments, contrasting the previous administration. With some pensioners receiving full payments, the administration's earlier claim of clearing a nine-year backlog was misguiding as it covered Dr. Otti's time as governor only.


Roads rehabilitation: B

Dr. Otti's achievements in road rehabilitation are undeniable, with some projects being a continuation of the previous administration's efforts. As government is a continuous process, he deserves praise for sustaining the rehabilitation initiatives, including the Aba-PH road, which serves as a significant example. Although the current administration's propaganda machine tends to attribute all roadwork to Dr. Otti, his efforts in this regard are commendable and earn him a B grade.


Industrialization: C

I have given a C grade due to the actualization of Geometric Power in Aba, which has been achieved through the combined efforts of both the current and previous administrations. This grade is not a reflection of the power transmission company's performance but rather the realization of the project in Aba. I have no other knowledge of any industry(ies) that have popped up in Abia under this administration. 


Health: B

The revitalization of ABSUTH is laudable. This is the administration's most significant achievement in the health area. 

The construction of a hospital with an estimated worth of over N1 billion has been claimed by the Abia State government. However, the exact location of the hospital within the state remains unclear. We are still trying to determine the location of the hospital, which could be either in Abidjan or Accra.

Lastly, the governor has claimed almost N1 billion in the purchase of hospital equipment in the governor's office. Remember that the governor's office is his personal village residence. I need to know why we have an N1bn worth of medical equipment for his village house and almost none for 4 million Abians, when we have tens of General Hospitals in Abia State. The administration gets a B here. A very generous grade.


Security: B

The administration has made commendable efforts in ensuring the safety of lives and property of the State's citizens. However, it is unclear why Dr. Otti pledged not to claim security votes during his campaign, yet he has already claimed N5 billion in  security votes.


Education: D-

The claim of N5bn ecoenditure as construction and rehabilitation expenses in this sector within a year is questionable, as there is no visible evidence of such expenditure on the ground. Furthermore, the sector has witnessed the termination of thousands of teachers without any record of improvement training. This is a glaring failure that should attract an F grade. However, the reinstatement of medical students' accreditation at ABSU slightly improves the grade to a D. There is nothing else recorded under education in Abia under Dr. Otti. 


Resources management: D+

I will provide a well-reasoned justification for my grade. Many individuals in Abia focus solely on visual inspections of images, but I conduct a comprehensive evaluation considering the allocation of resources. It is problematic to overlook the inefficient use of Abia's resources.


How do you explain these:

Is there any justification for the following expenditures: 

1. N5 billion on non-existent public school rehabilitations and constructions.

 2. N1.1 billion on celebrations and welfare in Isiala Ngwa.

 3. Planned N5 billion, an excessive amount, to survey 2 hectares of land. 

4. N12 billion spent running the governor's office. 


Trade: D-

The ability of goods from Abia State to compete effectively in the national and international marketplaces, as recorded during Dr. Otti's administration, is defined as trade here. 

Dr. Otti's administration has not achieved any tangible results in comparison to previous administrations. No substantial bilateral agreements have been signed with other states, and no effective agreements have been made with international or national industries. Although Dr. Otti has traveled to European countries and more recently to the US and UK to attract investors, these efforts have yielded little success


Agriculture: D

Dr. Otti's administration has claimed N2bn for the construction of non-existent agricultural facilities in Abia state. Furthermore, they have claimed N2.5bn for the construction of a non-existent ICT infrastructure, which may be linked to agriculture. Also, the administration plans to allocate N5bn for the survey of 2 hectares of land, which is quite unbelievable. Awarding a D here is fair.


Transparency: E

The scope of contracts awarded by this administration is unknown to many Abians. The administration's communication strategy is puzzling, as transparency is not their priority. It is surprising that a former Bank MD, who should champion open communication, chooses to keep Abians uninformed. His propaganda team is equally clueless about the scope of contract awards. Dr. Otti has claimed that his administration has not borrowed any funds. We all know this is inaccurate. Guaranteed N50bn contractor loan from Access Bank is one. The administration has borrowed in excess of N100bn so far. You can't trust an administration that tends to mislead the public. E grade. It should even be an F.


Accountability: E

Accountability is a cornerstone of democratic governance. If accountability is not present, it is a sign that there is a conspiracy to keep the people in the dark. The administration earned a D grade for maintaining the publication of quarterly performance reports.

After the controversial statements of this administration about ABSG's Geometric Power ownership secured under the previous administration, the current state government out of embarrassment took down all financial statements of the past administration that revealed contradicting facts in Dr. Otti's statements before the world. For taking down the financial statements, the grade fell to an E.


Road construction: F9

There has been a total lack of new road constructions, resulting in a failing grade of F9. There's a difference between new constructions and rehabilitation of existing roads. Know this.


Employment Creation: F9

There have been no efforts to create employment opportunities for the teeming youths of Abia state, as reflected in the budget, which allocated a paltry sum of N0 for youth development. This is unacceptable, given the large number of workers who have been sacked by the administration. 


Rural development: F9

Dr. Otti criticized the previous administration for not conducting LGA elections, but he is now celebrating the same thing he condemned. This is hypocritical and deceptive, especially since no LGA elections have been conducted so far. The situation in about 95% of the LGAs in the state is stagnant. With my LGA being the only oil-producing area in the state and having only the ASOPADEC-funded rehabilitation of the civic center as the sole development. There is nothing else happening in the LGAs.



Ejikeme Alozie-Nwagboso, MBA EbubeAguUkwa