Abia APC chieftain accuses Gov Otti of deception, poor performance amid rising revenues

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Ogbonna Onubogu, has accused Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, of running what he described as a deceptive administration, alleging that the governor has failed to justify the level of resources accruing to the state.

Onubogu, a member of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, alleged that Otti has been misleading the public by suggesting endorsement or alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, despite belonging to a different political platform.

“Governor Otti is deceiving everyone into believing that President Tinubu has endorsed him. If he is truly popular, why is he leveraging on Tinubu?” Onubogu said.

He questioned the governor’s political consistency, adding: “If he is a sincere politician, why is he not with Peter Obi? You cannot claim one thing and practise another.”

The APC chieftain further alleged that Otti lacks political loyalty and could betray alliances.

“Otti is not loyal and will never be loyal to Tinubu. He is power drunk and will betray Tinubu just as he betrayed Peter Obi,” he said.

Onubogu also downplayed the administration’s achievements, particularly in Aba.

“There is nothing on ground outside sanitation in Aba, and even that credit should go to President Tinubu. Otti cannot openly acknowledge this because he does not genuinely support the president,” he added.

Expanding on his criticism, Onubogu argued that the Abia State Government has not translated increased revenues into visible development.

“The volume of resources flowing into Abia State today does not justify what is physically seen on ground. About ₦1.5 trillion has come into the state within 33 months, yet the impact is not commensurate,” he said.

He noted that with only about 15 per cent of the state’s income reportedly spent on personnel costs, the administration has had more than enough fiscal space to deliver meaningful projects.

“Better is not good enough where the best is possible. You cannot compare yourself with administrations that struggled under low allocations when you have far more resources at your disposal,” he stated.

Onubogu further raised concerns over public spending, particularly in the education sector.

“The government claimed to have spent about ₦97 billion on renovation of schools, yet Abians have not seen where these schools are. Such a huge sum should produce visible and verifiable results,” he said.

He also questioned expenditure on road infrastructure.

“Over ₦200 billion has allegedly been spent on roads, yet what we see are mostly patched and painted old roads rather than new constructions. At that scale of spending, Abia should have delivered thousands of kilometres of roads,” he added.

On pension matters, the APC chieftain disputed claims that arrears had been cleared.

“They announced that nine years of pension arrears have been paid, but pensioners are still there to confirm otherwise. Where is the truth in that claim?” he queried.

He also alleged discrepancies in financial reporting.

“Budget performance reports indicate that about ₦17 billion was used for payments that never happened. These are serious issues that require answers, not attacks,” he said.

The issue of workers’ welfare also featured prominently in his remarks.

“What is there to celebrate in salary payments when workers are poorly paid? Abia has not properly implemented the ₦70,000 minimum wage, while in neighbouring Imo, Governor Hope Uzodinma is paying a higher living wage,” Onubogu said.

He added that disparities in salary structures have placed Abia workers at a disadvantage compared to their counterparts in other states.

On employment, he cited an unemployment rate of 18.7 per cent, questioning the government’s job creation strategy.

“After all the noise on social media, what we see is the employment of poorly remunerated PTA teachers. Serious governments are creating sustainable private-sector jobs by enabling businesses to thrive,” he said.

Onubogu also accused the administration of avoiding accountability by allegedly deploying media aides to attack critics rather than addressing substantive issues.

“When critical questions are raised, instead of answers, what we see are attacks on individuals. That does not solve the problems or change the facts,” he said.

He further compared Abia’s performance with that of other states, including Anambra, where Governor Chukwuma Soludo has been credited with visible projects.

“Other governors with similar or even fewer resources are delivering measurable results. Abia should not be different,” he added.