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Abia community honours Otti in appreciation of road project
BY NDUBUISI UWAEZU
The Umuasua Autonomous Community in Abia State has honoured Dr Alex Otti, a former governorship candidate, with a chieftaincy title, Ihie Mba 1 of Umuasua (The Light of Umuasua), for fulfilling a promise he made to the community.
Otti, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was honoured by the community in appreciation of the 4.5Km Mbalanano/Umuasua road project which he attracted to the community, through the intervention agency, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The former APGA gubernatorial candidate had promised the Umuasua community in 2019 while campaigning for governorship that he would ensure that the road, a major artery that connects the community with the rest of Abia State, was built.
In fulfilment of that promise, Otti, a notable economist and former bank chief executive officer, last Wednesday commissioned the completed road project in Isuikwuato Local Government Area.
The traditional ruler of Umuasua Autonomous Community, Eze Dr U.G. Ugbom, who conferred the title, poured royal encomium and blessings on Dr Otti, describing him as a rare gem that had brought light to that part of Isuikwuato. He assured the finance guru of the community’s support in his political aspiration.
While commissioning the road, Otti who had fulfilled similar promises in other parts of Abia, disclosed that he leveraged on his network of contacts and relationship with those in position of authority to attract the road project.
He explained that he was motivated by the need to ameliorate the sufferings of the people who, according to a statement by his media aide, Ferdinand Ekeoma, had to go through hell before they could move in and out of their community.
READ: Otti inspects road works in Abia
Otti restated his affirmed position that he was not a politician looking for political power to enrich himself but a technocrat driven by the quest to better the economic fortunes and welfare of Abians. He assured the people of Isuikwuato that he will redouble efforts to assist them with more impactful projects.
Speaking at the occasion, the President General, Umuasua Progressive Association, Chief Gideon Akanwoke, explained that the people of the area never anticipated that such a massive gesture could come from an individual and added that the joy and excitement felt by the people propelled them to confer Dr Otti with a special chieftaincy title of “Ihie Mba One of Umuasua”, which had never been conferred on anyone before.
Similarly, an illustrious son of the community and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Barr. Ken Ahia, who hosted Otti in his country-home, expressed gratitude to the astute politician for putting smiles on the faces of his people whom he said suffered terribly plying the road before Otti’s intervention.
Ahia revealed that the road was alleged to have been repeatedly put in the state budget by successive administrations, without anything being done, and disclosed that the number of people, especially elderly men and women, as well as children who trooped out to celebrate Dr Otti for that rare gesture to Isuikwuato people clearly showed his people’s depth of gratitude to him.
Also, a respected son of Isuikwuato and former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, described Otti as a man of high standing and praised him for his goodwill which he said has brought so much joy to the people.
Ihejirika said a man was not measured by the amount of money he had, but the number of people he attracted to himself through goodwill. He commended the people for the massive turnout to receive Otti and the honour done to him.