Abia governance: Catholic church honours governor Otti as he assures of total recovery of commercial city

Stephanie Clems, Umuahia

The Catholic Diocese of Aba has celebrated and honoured the governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti for his empatheticand humane disposition in leadership.

The church during a special Sunday Mass at Christ the King Catholic Church, CKC, Aba, on Sunday, June 14, 2026 openly extolled the feats of the governor since assuming office in 2023.

Delivering his homily, the bishop of Aba Diocese, Most Rev. Professor Augustine Echema, said leadership and power must be about the people.

Taking his text from Matthew 9:36, he noted that the Lord Jesus Christ was moved with compassion for the crowd because their leadership had failed them.

He likened governor Otti to a leader with passion and pity for Abia people, stating that the governor needed no campaign.

“We have a man of integrity and nobody needs to campaign for governor Otti, his works will campaign for him.

“You are worth supporting. This is the first time the Catholic Diocese of Aba is honouring a governor,” bishop Echema said.

He thanked Governor Otti for wiping the tears of Abia people and for proving that government is truly about the people.

The Bishop also urged all Catholic faithful to take advantage of the ongoing voters’ registration exercise to obtain their PVCs to exercise their civic responsibility during elections.

The laity comprising the three statutory bodies of the church, CMO, CWO, and CYON, took turns to appreciate the governor for “his excellent and people centered leadership.”

They described him as a “silent achiever” who had touched the lives of ordinary Abia residents especially in Aba, recalling the years of suffering before his emergence due to lack of access roads.

Each body presented the governor with special gifts.

In his response, Governor Otti thanked the Church and its organs for the rare and generous endorsement.

“Even if you pay the Catholic Church a billion dollars, they will not do the wrong thing. This is your government and we will never disappoint you,” the governor reassured.

Governor Otti pledged to continue working for the people of Abia State and gave assurances on the next phase of his administration.

“You ain’t seen nothing yet. We have just dealt with the hygiene issues – cleaning up the environment, roads, water, etc. We are now focusing more on Healthcare, Education, Technology, Industrialization and others.

“We will soon embark on the complete recovery of Aba by flagging off the reconstruction of Uratta Road and Old Express. Any project we can’t find the money for, we don’t start. We have found the money. It is in the bank, and the flag-off will happen soon,” Governor Otti said.

The Governor also promised support for the ongoing CMO Secretariat Project and other projects by CWO and CYON which represent the men, women, and youths of the church.

The mass was attended by prominent men and women in government and business.