LG Administration : Gov. Otti hosts ex mayors, pledges to work with competent ones

By Editor , Umuahia

Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti has hosted the immediate past ex mayors as well as the current Mayors and their deputies to a dinner.

The governor at the dinner which was held at the banquet hall of government house, Umuahia, said most of the former Mayors of the 17 LGAs of the state would still be accommodated in his government.

Governor Alex Otti appreciated the various achievements of the immediate past Mayors and their deputies and expressed pride and gratitude to them for making themselves available to serve the citizens in the grassroots.

“We have found these ones, and we are going to engage them again fully.

“In the eleven months and a few days that they have spent, you can see the wonders that they did in their different Local Governments.

“They performed so excellently well that I can stand here and tell you that I am very proud of all of them, and it is that pride that informed this gathering, the governor said.

Governor Otti who highlighted the deliberate process in selecting the mayors, said that his administration sought individuals with proven character and reputation. He added that the primary selection criteria were commitment to service and integrity, noting that his administration has zero tolerance for corruption.

The State Chief Executive encouraged the new Mayors to prioritize public welfare over personal gain, and warned those with intentions of personal enrichment to reconsider as any official caught in corrupt practices would face the consequences.

“In our administration, leadership is about stewardship. We have made it clear that this government has zero tolerance for corruption so if you were thinking that the reason you offered yourself is to steal money, resign now, don’t let us disgrace you.

“I will not spare any efforts in disgracing anybody who steals. I may be lenient and ask you to leave. A lot of times, I’m not that lenient. I can assure you that this administration would not tolerate stealing and the leader would not steal”, he said.

Governor Otti emphasized that the performance of the current Mayors would be monitored and compared to that of their predecessors and urged them to draw inspiration from the example set by the past Mayors, saying that they have established a trajectory that people would follow.

The Governor assured that his administration would support the new Mayors to succeed irrespective of political affiliation adding that once elections are over, governance commences.

According to him, “once we finish with the election, the next thing is governance and governance does not care about platform. So, you are all integrated into this family.

“I want to reassure you that for us, what is important is the individual. We don’t care about political parties; they are just platforms.

“Whether you are coming from Zenith Labour Party, YPP, APC, PDP, wherever you are coming from, it doesn’t really matter, the important thing is that you have a job to do” Gov. Otti said.

In their separate speeches on behalf of their colleagues, the former Mayor of Ohafia LGA, Dr. David Ogba who spoke on behalf of the Abia North Senatorial Zone, Former Mayor Aba South LGA. Mr Uche Nwogu for Abia South and their Umuahia South counterpart, Anthony Ejike Nnochiri for Abia central expressed gratitude to the Governor for the opportunity to serve and contribute to grassroots development.

They encouraged the newly elected Mayors to embrace their roles with humility and build on the foundations they established as well as to further advance democracy at the grassroots level.

The event attracted members of the state executive council, the SSG, Chief of staff to the Governor and other appointees of government were present at the event.