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I Met Abia In Terrible Shape But I’m Not Complaining –Gov Otti
The Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, has lamented the condition the state was in when he took over reins of power last May, saying that it was left in a very bad shape by his predecessor, Okezie Ikpeazu.
When asked if he met the state in bad shape, he replied, “Absolutely, very, very bad shape, but I am not complaining. I have folded my sleeves and I am just dealing with what I met here.”
The governor was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday.
He said that while he was not totally against debts, his grouse was that he did not see what the money borrowed by his predecessor was used for.
“My worry is not really about debt, it is about what the debt is used for. If you inherited a debt profile of N34.4 billion by May 29, 2015 and eight years later you ran that debt to about N192.2 billion; I really can’t see anything that you have done with the money, salaries were not being paid, pensioners were being owed, infrastructure was decaying, the place go into ruins, schools were run down completely, hospitals were dilapidated.
“So, the issue is where did the money go? If I am going to take debt, it is going to go into regenerative expenditure. But when you are taking loans and you are running the state into debt, just for consumption, you are not investing in the state; you are not paying salaries; that’s actually what I was talking about.”
On tax collection, Governor Otti said his administration has cleaned up the system by driving away miscreants from collecting taxes for the government.
He said that they have made it a duty that collection of any revenue cannot be made in cash.
“As a government, we do not patronise touts and we have also made it clear that people in Ariaaria market can only pay through the designated banks. Cash payments are no longer allowed. You do not pay for any revenue by cash, you can only pay through the banks,” he said.
Otti also reassured the people of Abia of delivering rail project which is one of the projects he promised during his campaign. He said the government has been in a discussion with a Chinese company and that the discussions are going well.
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Finally, IGP approves hunger protests across Nigeria
The Nigerian police has finally approved the planned nationwide protests and outlined conditions for participants.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, revealed this on Friday while addressing journalists in Abuja.
He urged all groups planning to participate in the proposed nationwide protest to submit their details to the Commissioners of Police in their respective states.
The police boss said this was to ensure the protest was peaceful.
Egbetokun said, “We acknowledge the constitutional right of Nigerian citizens to peaceful assembly and protest.
“However, in the interest of public safety and order, we urge all groups planning to protest to provide necessary details to the Commissioner of Police in the state where the protest is intended to take place.
“To facilitate a successful and incident-free protest, they should please provide the following information: state the proposed protest routes and assembly points; expected duration of the protest; and names and contact details of protest leaders and organisers.”
The police boss said the information expected from the organisers also include measures to prevent hijacking by criminal elements, as well as key identifiers for possible isolation of potential troublemakers.
By providing the information, he said, the police will be able to deploy adequate personnel and resources to ensure public safety.
He said the police needed to know the specific routes and areas for the protest to avoid conflicts with other events or activities.
Mr Egbetokun said the police will “establish clear communication channels with protest leaders to address any concerns or issues that may arise; minimise the risk of violence, property damage, or other criminal activity.
“We encourage all protesters to cooperate with the police, obey the law, and adhere to global best practices for peaceful assembly to guarantee a safe and successful exercise of their rights.
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