“The Lord would have blessed you the more if you found the time and energy to defend and speak for the downtrodden and voiceless Abia masses the way you have volunteered to speak for…”
Dear Chief Reagan Uformba sir, we read your open letter to the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, and we commend you for finding time to speak your mind which is part of your democratic rights. Right or wrong, it’s not out of place for citizens to air their views in a democracy.
However, contrary to our expectation that you were going to sympathise with your innocent brother, Governor Alex Otti who has consistently been a victim of unjustifiable vicious attacks, lies and destructive denigration since 2014 in the hands of your friends and allies, you unfortunately presented him as the aggressor rather than an innocent victim in the hands of thoughtless Aggressors.
As an informed Knight of the Catholic Church, we are convinced that you are conversant with the Biblical injunction which says “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute,” (Psalm 82:3)
Sir, your brother, Governor Alex Otti has been a victim of the most sustained brutal blackmail, verbal abuse, mindless misrepresentation and senseless violence since 2014, hence our belief that you would have given justice to him if you dwelled on empirical facts to drive home your points in that Open Letter.
Do Not forget that in a bid to stop him from becoming Governor, some people from a particular section of the state mobilized Caskets and threatened death to his supporters.
Many of his supporters were attacked and badly injured.
Hate filled rhetoric and defamatory incitement never seen in the history of Abia were carried out against him on different platforms, especially the state owned Radio station.
Libation was repeatedly poured against him while the names of his parents of blessed memories were painted black and unjustly subjected to public ridicule.
The climax of the hate and violence was an assassination attempt on his life in Abuja while his case against Ikpeazu was pending in Court in 2015. The attack took the life of one of his police Orderlies, an Inspector who perished, leaving behind a heartbroken widow.
Just a few months ago, Governor Otti’s representatives in the last Governorship election were brutalised and badly battered in Obingwa, unfortunately, the man you sought to defend in your open letter was the one that personally supervised those unprovoked acts of violence. You may wish to remind us of any recorded act of violence carried our by Governor Otti, directly or indirectly against Ikpeazu or Ahaiwe’s supporters in any part of the state?
If you wanted to be fair to Governor Otti, you would admit that his only “Crime” as an opposition leader was his courage to speak out on behalf of the people and ask critical questions that bothered on governance. During such occasions, his Spokespersons and supporters merely responded to verbal onslaughts from those who felt that it was a crime to fairly criticise Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.
Before the 2022 PDP Governorship primaries, your regular mantra was “Ikpeazu Will Finish Strong”. We doubt if you would in all sincerity say that a man who borrowed over N140 billion that remains unaccounted for and left over 40 months salary and 50 months pension arrears respectively, finished strong.
Unfortunately, you mistake thousands of Abia youths on social media who vent their anger on Ikpeazu on a daily basis for refusing to pay their parents, as Otti’s supporters. Make no mistakes about it, Otti is proud to embrace such youths who are courageous enough to speak out against injustice as his supporters.
As someone who worked with Ikpeazu and supported him till the end, even in the face of oppression of Abia workers and senior citizens, it would have been more honorable and just if you didn’t display the mien of an unbiased umpire in your write-up.
Sir, What effort did you make to encourage Ikpeazu to properly hand over to his successor, Dr. Alex Otti?
Would there have been need to debate about what Dr. Ikpeazu left behind or not if he properly handed over to his successor and records taken?
Was it fair that a former Governor would tell barefaced lies about what he left behind for his successor just to hoodwink the public and subject Governor Otti to public ridicule? Shouldn’t there be some modicum of honour and integrity in governance?
If you were in Governor Alex Otti’s shoes, would you have shown the kind of restraint he has shown so far over the senseless looting and sabotage that took place during Ikpeazu’s tenure, especially after his Candidate lost the governorship election?
How many times did you write Ikpeazu and Open Letter to pay salaries and pensions, or to use the several billions he borrowed to develop the state?
How many times sir did you remind Ikpeazu that demolishing houses that didn’t encroache on Port Harcourt Road, without paying compensation and without constructing the road in question was a grave injustice?
Don’t you think sir that the Lord would have blessed you the more if you found the time and energy to defend and speak for the downtrodden and voiceless Abia masses the way you have volunteered to speak for Dr. Ikpeazu who has many Spokespersons?
Boutros Boutros Ghali reminded us that “Selective Justice is no Justice”, just like Martin Luther King Jnr “warned that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”
We encourage you to do justice and be fair to all men, including your political opponents.
Governor Alex Otti Is open to criticism and is appreciative of feedbacks that would have the propensity to deepen our democracy and engender development, because he understands the efficacy of healthy opposition in a democracy, however, he would politely at all times respond and present the record straight whenever his critics attempt to distort facts in a bid to achieve a self serving agenda.
As you reflect on this, rest assured that the Alex Otti led-government respects and holds every Abian in high esteem and would work assiduously to protect and advance the interests of all citizens, irrespective of political, religious and sectional differences.
Ferdinand Ekeoma
Special Adviser
(Media and Publicity ) to the
Governor of Abia State
20-06-2023.
