Ibeku Council of Traditional Rulers, apparently fed up and frustrated with the state of development in Abia State, has appealed to the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate, Dr. Alex Otti, to help wipe away their tears when he takes over the seat of governance on May 29.
The traditional leaders who gathered at the palace of their chairman, Eze Iheanyichukwu Ezigbo (Ochima l, Ohabiri Umuchime/Amanso), Ossa-Ibeku, Umuahia, said their eyes are filled with tears, adding that the only reason they cannot cry publicly is so that their subjects will not laugh at them.
Speaking in Ibeku dialect while responding to the remarks by the visiting LP governorship candidate, Eze Ezigbo said: "We are elders, and we have to be strong. Therefore, we discreetly suppress the tears in our eyes so that our children will not laugh at us."
The traditional rulers whose domains cover part of Umuahia North, the constituency of former governor and senator representing Abia Central, Theodore Orji, said they had taken counsel among themselves and arrived at the conclusion that Dr. Otti is the only one, among all the other candidates, well prepared to lead Abia State.
Consequently, they surrounded the top banker and renowned economist, and presented him before God in prayer as their choice, asking God to grant him victory at the polls.
"We are sending your son Alex Otti to go and work for us. It is our wish that he will succeed. Whatever that will stop him from emerging victorious, God don't let it be, in Jesus name," the Ezes declared in supplication.
Dr. Otti had thanked the traditional rulers for coming out to receive him and for speaking in one voice as they endorsed his candidacy.
He laid out his plan to rebuild Abia and create wealth and jobs for the people. He said the government he will lead is not one that will go to Abuja, collect allocation meant to develop the state and pay workers' salaries, and come back home to share it among the ruling elites.
"Does Abia look like a state where N75 billion is invested every year. They say they collect an average of N60 billion from Federal Allocation and N15 billion from internally-generated revenue every year. Ibeku land, Umuahia, is the capital of Abia, it looks like a glorified village.
"We will use Abia money to work for Abia people. We will build modern infrastructure, pay every worker at both the state and local government level being owed arrears of salaries. By December 2023, we would have paid off all outstanding pension arrears, it does not matter for how long, whether 43 months, 56 months or 100 months," Otti said.
Dr. Otti was accompanied on the first leg of the campaign tour of Umuahia North by the Ikwuano-Umuahia Federal Constituency candidate, Hon Obi Aguocha; Umuahia Central State Constituency candidate, Hon Anthony Chinasa; Umuahia East State Constituency candidate, Hon Austin Okezie Mmereghini and the State Campaign Council Coordinator, Hon Iheanacho Obioma among others.
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