Otti’s Rising Abia And The Desperate Cries Of The Children Of Baal

EBERE UZOUKWA, PhD

In the Bible, the children of Baal were known for their stubbornness, deceit, and resistance to truth. They clung to false altars and fought bitterly against righteousness until divine judgment silenced them. That same spirit seems to have resurfaced in today’s Abia, embodied by those who spread lies, blackmail, and propaganda against Governor Alex Chioma Otti, OFR. Like their biblical counterparts, they rage not because of injustice, but because truth and light have displaced their long reign of darkness, deceit, and corruption.

Their lamentations began the day Abians, in 2023, overwhelmingly chose to dismantle their oppressive political order and usher in a new era of accountability and development. Governor Otti’s victory marked the end of impunity and the rebirth of God’s Own State. For years, they feasted on the ruins of Abia, denying workers their salaries, pensioners their dues, and the people their dignity. When Otti came, he tore down their altars of exploitation, restored order, and revived faith in governance. That singular act of liberation remains the root of their bitterness.

In less than two years, Governor Otti has lifted Abia from the ruins of decay and placed it on a clear path of renewal. His sweeping reforms across education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, and public service have redefined leadership. One of his earliest and most compassionate acts was abolishing the cruel divide between “core” and “noncore” civil servants, a discriminatory policy that denied thousands of workers their wages. Today, over 67,000 Abia workers receive their salaries promptly and transparently, while pensioners, once forgotten, now receive their entitlements with dignity.

These humane policies are strengthened by structural reforms anchored on transparency and accountability. For the first time in Abia’s history, the government publishes quarterly financial reports online, detailing every income and expenditure in accordance with the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). Governor Otti’s administration has entrenched a culture of open governance that never existed before.

Contrary to the propaganda peddled by Benjamin Kalu and his cohorts, Abia does not receive 38 billion naira monthly. The truth is that every kobo under Governor Otti is traceable, verifiable, and directed toward rebuilding Abia.

Abia’s transformation is not abstract; it is visible in the roads, hospitals, schools, and renewed public confidence. Over 70 strategic roads have been completed or are ongoing across the three senatorial zones. In Aba, more than 35 roads, including Aba Owerri Road, Osusu Road, Green Avenue, Omuma Road, Udeagbala Road, and Ehi Road, have been fully reconstructed with modern drainage systems. The once impassable Portharcourt Road, abandoned for over two decades, has been rebuilt and recently commissioned by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi. In Umuahia, the new Government House Road, Ossah Road expansion, and the magnificent Michael Okpara Auditorium stand as symbols of renewal.

In healthcare, Otti has revived the Abia State Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre, equipped it with modern facilities, and restored life to over 100 rural health centres. In education, schools are being rehabilitated, teachers retrained, and digital learning initiatives introduced in partnership with development agencies.

The Governor’s economic reforms are equally groundbreaking. Through the digitization of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and revenue processes, leakages have been plugged, and internally generated revenue has increased from less than 1 billion naira to over 3.8 billion naira monthly, achieved without arbitrary taxes. This prudent management has enabled the state to pay workers, execute projects, and maintain fiscal stability.

The ongoing Abia Innovation and Industrial Park (AIIP) in Owaza, Ukwa West, epitomizes Otti’s forward looking governance. The project will serve as the South East’s largest technology and industrial hub, creating thousands of jobs in ICT, renewable energy, and light manufacturing. Similarly, developmental loans obtained from the African Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank are tied strictly to infrastructure, energy, and agriculture, with transparent disbursement processes monitored by the lenders themselves.

When President Tinubu’s representative visited to commission projects in Aba, Abians came out in their thousands to celebrate both the President and their performing Governor. The joy, pride, and unity displayed that day told the story of a people who have rediscovered trust in leadership. Yet, while Abians rejoiced, the children of Baal sulked in shame, tormented by the sight of progress and the Governor’s growing popularity. Their bitterness drives them to distort facts, fabricate figures, and attack a government that has simply refused to fail.

But the truth remains unshakable: no amount of lies can overshadow results. Abia’s transformation stands as a living testament to honest leadership. Governor Otti’s style is not built on propaganda or noise, but on verifiable achievements that have restored hope and pride.

The PDP and APC elements attacking him today do so out of fear, fear of political extinction in a state that has moved beyond deception. The people can now see clearly and will never return to the darkness of the past. Otti’s government has proven that leadership is about service, not patronage; results, not rhetoric.

Today, Abia stands renewed, peaceful, productive, and purpose driven. The people are proud again to call their home God’s Own State. The wailing of the children of Baal is but the sound of a dying era, powerless before the dawn of a new Abia built on truth, transparency, and competence.

The old altars have fallen.
A new Abia is rising, strong, transparent, and unstoppable.

– Dr. Ebere Uzoukwa is the
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Abia State on Public Affairs.