Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti has hosted the Out-Gone Mayors and the current Mayors and their Deputies in a dinner where he announced that most of the outgone Mayors of the 17 LGAs of the state would be accommodated in his government.
Speaking at the event held in the Banquet Hall, Government House Umuahia, Governor Alex Otti appreciated the various achievements of the immediate past Mayors and their Deputies and expressed deep pride and gratitude to them for making themselves available to serve Abians at the grassroots.
“We have found these ones, and we are going to engage them again fully”.
“In the eleven months and a few days that they have spent, you can see the wonders that they did in their different Local Governments”.
“They performed so excellently well that I can stand here and tell you that I am very proud of all of them, and it is that pride that informed this gathering”.
Governor Otti who highlighted the deliberate process in selecting the Mayors said that his administration sought individuals with proven character and reputation. He added that the primary selection criteria were commitment to service and integrity, noting that his administration has zero tolerance for corruption.
The State Chief Executive encouraged the new Mayors to prioritize public welfare over personal gain, and warned those with intentions of personal enrichment to reconsider as any official caught in corrupt practices would face consequences.
“In our administration, leadership is about stewardship. We have made it clear that this government has zero tolerance for corruption so if you were thinking that the reason you offered yourself is to steal money, resign now, don’t let us disgrace you”.
“I will not spare any efforts in disgracing anybody who steals. I may be lenient and ask you to leave. Alot of times, I’m not that lenient. I can assure you that this administration would not tolerate stealing and the leader would not steal”, he assured.
Governor Otti emphasized that the performance of the current Mayors would be monitored and compared to that of their predecessors and urged them to draw inspiration from the example set by the out-gone Mayors, saying that the out-gone Mayors have established trajectory that people would follow.
The Governor assured that his administration would support the new Mayors to succeed irrespective of political affiliation adding that once elections are over, governance commences.
“Once we finish with the election, the next thing is governance and governance does not care about platform. So, you are all integrated into this family”.
“I want to reassure you that for us, what is important is the individual. We don’t care about political parties they are just platforms”.
“Whether you are coming from Zenith Labour Party, YPP, APC, PDP, wherever you are coming from, it doesn’t really matter, the important thing is that you have a job to do” Gov. Otti stated.
In their separate speeches on behalf of other immediate past Mayors, the Fomer Mayor of Ohafia LGA, Dr. David Ogba who spoke on behalf of the Abia North Senatorial Zone, Former Mayor Aba South LGA, Mr Uche Nwogu and their Umuahia South counterpart, Anthony Ejike Nnochiri expressed gratitude to the Governor for the opportunity to serve and contribute to grassroots development.
They encouraged the newly elected Mayors to embrace their roles with humility and build on the foundations established by their predecessors, as well as to further advance democracy at the grassroots level.
Members of the State Executive Council, the SSG, Chief of staff to the Governor and other appointees of government were present at the event.
