Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, has asked the various communities in Abia to stop requesting for individual benefits from politicians aspiring to lead the state at the gubernatorial level.
Rather, Otti said it would be more beneficial for the communities to demand for democratic dividends that would impact positively on the lives and well-being of the generality of the people, than just one or two persons and their families or friends.
Otti spoke on Tuesday in Ukwa East Local Government Area, when he flagged off his electioneering campaign for the 17 local government areas of Abia State.
The LP governorship candidate, highly favoured to win the 2023 election in Abia, said political offices are for individuals but basic amenities and infrastructural developments such as good roads, portable drinking water, quality healthcare, stable power supply and basic education are for collective good.
“I have been listening to people talking about position, asking what position I would give. That position that you would get ends up being a position for one person or his family or his immediate environment. So, I want us to start thinking well,” Otti told the crowd of Ukwa East people who had gathered to appraise his candidacy at a townhall meeting.
He engaged the community in a question-and-answer, asking, “You have got a position here (in the past) as number three man, abi? Senate President… Has anything changed? The crowd chorused, “No!” The candidate then retorted, “So, I do not have number three position to give you, but you have got it before.”
Further pressing home his point, he said, “There have been commissioners here, right? There have been members of the House of Assembly; there have been party chairmen of ruling parties and Ukwa is still like this.
“So, the issue is not what you get for individuals, it’s what you get for everybody as a community. What I’m coming to do is to create wealth for everybody… I don’t want any family to have one unemployed person.
“I want to engage your people so that they can work. I want to build roads to connect you, so that when your products are coming from the farm you will not spend N1,000 to take it to Aba. So, that is the focus now.
“I don’t care about positions; positions are for individuals. But we are looking collectively at Ndoki people, what do we get?
“There has been a president in this country, after he finished his presidency, it was reported that he has no pipe-borne water in his village.
“The mindset now has to change. Talk about the community, don’t talk about the individual. Thank you.”
Otti’s message appeared to resonate with the people as they cheered him relentlessly.
Before engaging the people at the community hall, the renowned economist and top banker had first visited the Chairman of the Council of Traditional Rulers in Ukwa East, His Royal Highness Eze Tony Wabara, in his palace, where he interacted with Eze Wabara and other members of the Ukwa East traditional rulers.
Otti and members of his campaign organisation and Labour Party executives in the state also stopped by at Obeaku, to pay homage to Eze Ikeagwuchi Ekeke of Obeaku. Thereafter, the entourage proceeded to party office.
The goodwill and reception at every turn were massive. Both the traditional rulers and their subjects were unanimous in their assessment of Otti as the only candidate with the capacity, character and competence to lead Abia out of the present doldrums the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had subjected her, in the last 23 years.
– Kazie Uko
14/12/2022
