1 week Ago By Uche Nwosu
Abia State Government has defended its decision to relocate the Umuahia campus of the Abia State University to its main campus at Uturu in Isuikwuato Local Government Area of the state, insisting that the decision was taken in order to advance academic studies and research in the ivory tower. Governor Alex Otti who spoke to reporters during his month media chat tagged “Governor Alex Otti Speaks to Abians” in Umuahia, said the choice is a well focused one that would give enough room for academic conviviality amongst all faculties and departments in the school. He stated that the government has taken measures to address some of the challenges that may crop as a result of the relocation exercise like accommodation, electricity, nearness to research materials, water etc, pointing out that some the challenges like nearness internship institutions is being taken care because his administration is currently building modern and well furnished court rooms to serve multi purposes.
According to him, Abia State government in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will soon begin the renovation of major water projects in Abia, adding that the agreement will begin with the rehabilitation of Ariaria, Abia North and Ubakala, Umuahia South water schemes. On why Southeast governors have continued to maintain apathy on the clamour to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Otti stated that he not believe in unnecessary showmanship and media blitz to impress some quarters in asking for Nnamdi Kanu’s release, adding that he has on some occasions personally taken the matter of the release of the IPOB leader to the President. “I have personally being engaging the relevant authorities on his release.
I want him to come out. I don’t believe in media show. I have gone to the President to talk about his release; it’s not what we’ll discuss in the media space”, he said.
On why his party, the Labour Party lost woefully in the just concluded Local Government Elections conducted by the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC) the Abia governor, who insisted that he is still a member of LP, attributed the party’s loss to a relative unknown party Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) to the internal squabbles in LP. At the poll, ZLP swept 15 chairmanship seats, while the Young Peoples Party (YPP) won two seats. His word, “I can assure you that I’m still in LP.
The crisis in LP made our supporters to go elsewhere. They know those that would deliver. “I believe that that was what happened in this case right from the time I stood up to contest the election in 2015.
When I left PDP to join APGA, our people followed me and I won that election even when APGA has not won even one councillorship before that time. We took half of the House of Assembly in 2015. “So, sometimes, people recognize the fact that political parties are empty platforms to contest and win elections and when you muddle up things in your political parties, you give advantage, create opportunities for your competitors and that was what happened in the last LG election.
“I authorized my followers to join any political party that they liked and majority of them moved into other political parties. However, I remain in the Labour Party”, he told reporters at the media..
