Gov Alex Otti 


By Uche Aguoru


"Leadership is about empathy. it's about having the ability to relate to and connect with the people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives" This quote by the popular American Talkshow host and Television Producer Oprah Winfrey aims to amplify the indispensability of empathy in governance and leadership.


It is no longer news that the removal of petroleum subsidy came with it severe hardship on Nigerians, on that realization many State governors went to work to think out measures that would mitigate the harsh economic effects of the Petroleum subsidy removal policy by the federal government on residents of the State.


Empathy is not a catchword or slogan; it is a leadership competency and skill that should be present in the life of every leader and where this is lacking such a leader has failed completely because leadership should not be about self but others.


i. In Enugu State, Governor Peter Mbah in addition to the effective distribution of the grains sent to States by the federal government the governor directed cash transfers to indigent citizens and also approved additional cash of between N10,000 and N25,000 to be paid to civil servants, teachers and local government workers in the state for 5 months.


ii.  In Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State personally supervised the distribution of palliative for onward sharing to the thirteen local government areas of the State, he also procured 100-seater INNOSOM CNG Buses for the transportation of civil servants to and from work free of charge, the governor also released N50 million loan to assist traders and local business people in the state and also directed the employment of more workers into the States civil service as a means of helping families out of the current economic hardship, the governor approved the sum of 3bn naira for the training and mentorship of 1,500 Ebonyi indigenes doing menial jobs in various cities and instructed that N2m be given to each person as startup fund.


iii.   In Anambra Governor Charles Soludo has approved a non-taxable monthly cash stipend of N12,000 for every civil servant in the State in addition to the 10% salary increment already implemented since January 2023, he has also ordered the procurement of CNG buses for intrastate transportation aimed at reducing the cost of transportation within Anambra. the governor also initiated a tax exemption policy for hawkers, wheelbarrow and truck pushers, vulcanizers, artisans, Okada riders, and petty traders.


iv.  In Borno State, Governor Babagana Zulum, reputed for showing genuine empathy in governance personally supervised the distribution of cash and food items to the residents of the state across the 27 local governments and personally ensured that it got to the vulnerable class for whom the palliative was designed, he also rolled out a fleet of 70 buses for metro transport to reduce the cost of transportation and ease the movement of civil servants to their various places of work in the State.


v.   Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State in a show of concern and empathy for his citizens approved a monthly palliative of N10,000 for civil servants and pensioners for six months to cushion the harsh economic effects of the petrol subsidy removal, In addition, the governor approved the purchase 70 trucks of maize and 20 trucks of rice for distribution to the residents, he also approved the purchase of 50 trucks of fertilizer which he gave to the State civil servants at subsidized rate


vi. In Edo State, Governor Obaseki was the first governor to announce an increase in the minimum wage for civil servants in the State from N30,000 to N40,000 to cushion the effects of the rising cost of living in the country which was triggered by the removal of subsidy on petrol and subsequently directed that civil servants should come to the office only three days in a week.


While other State governors are showing honest empathy and care for the people especially the poor and vulnerable in the society, in Abia, the citizens have been subjected to unprecedented poverty and hunger, and my governor Dr. Alex Otti, according to the Q3 fiscal report released by his government had within 3 months spent on himself and his family the sum of N927m on Drinks, pepper soup and Nkwobi in the midst of biting hunger and hardship that Abians have been exposed to since the coming of the Otti administration, this fiscal recklessness and profligacy by Governor Otti, attracted public outcry leading Dr. Reuben Abati's advise " Abia Governor Should Cut Down On Gluttony And Use The Money He Is Spending On Peppersoup And Nkwobi To Develop The State"


The sacking of over 21,000 legitimately engaged civil servants to a very large degree  contributed to the deteriorating economic challenges, hunger, unemployment, crime, and hardship which is being experienced at a very high level in Abia today. The grim socio-economic situation has had a devastating effect on the people’s standard of living, plunging more than half of the Abia population into extreme poverty.


While 70% of the workers are having their salaries slashed, Many are yet to complete the unending verification because of the constant glitches intentionally created by the managers of the portal, many civil servants have had their names removed from, the payroll and the government is looking for ways to sack more workers.


Abians wake up daily to listen to stories of all manner of sophisticated crime and criminality in our once peaceful and secure state. families are losing their children to child theft with little or no effort from the government to curb this growing trend of crime that has crept into Abia due to hardship occasioned by the high rate of unemployment. 

Governor Alex Otti is disappointingly disconnected from the realities on the ground and therefore does not feel the need to give the citizens some relief measures that will cushion the effects of the hardship in the State.


Unfortunately for these Abia workers, they threw their whole support to labour Party when they were lied to that Labour Party is for workers welfare. They were made false  promises that any arrears owed by the former administration including pensions and gratuities will be cleared upon assumption of office, but contrary to the false campaign promises as at today , 22nd December 2023, Abia State University ASSU, in their meeting are set to embark on strike if their arrears and December salary is not paid by 1st January 2024.


The lack of commitment to workers welfare also manifested in the 2024 appropriation bill that was recently signed to law.


The governor allocated only 16% representing about 91b naira to recurrent expenditure against the unrealistic, unimplementable and bogus allocation of 84% representing about 453b naira to capital expenditure a budget which many have described as basically driven by greed and insincerity since it has become a norm that award of contracts under Otti lacks transparency .


The outstanding arrears of pensions, salaries of workers in civil service and payment of workers in Parastatals were never given consideration in the new budget.


This is the worst a government can do to its  workers. Otti should pity Abia workers and stop treating them as opposition party.


It is even more heartbreaking that this is  happening when the State government is receiving huge sums as allocation due to oil subsidy removal and devaluation of the Naira.


Last month , Nov 2023 a total of 1 trillion was shared to the states through the federation account, Abia is estimated to get about 14b including FAAC and JAAC , Unfortunately theses funds are not being felt by the citizens except the Governor and his family as buttressed by the Q3 report. 


Between April to December 2015 records show that Abia only got 25b as FAAC, whereas between June to November 2023 under the present administration the state has received about N87b naira outside the FG  interventions, palliatives and IGR


Is it not shocking that Governor Otti's newly appointed local government Mayor's resumed office without accompanying credit balances in their numerous local government accounts.


The Governor has single handedly ran the accounts of the local government since May 2023.


The government promised that the local government funds were intact since no single project was done within the seven months the Governor ran the account.


Till date neither Governor Otti, nor the new Transition Committee Chairmen can account for the funds of the local governments in Abia


The Local Government workers and the citizens have been asking about the funds that accrued to the councils which should average 17bn naira after salaries since no jobs were done .


And I dare ask again, Governor Otti, Where are our local government funds?


Today, other state governors are effectively and transparently deploying the Federal Government N5 billion grant given to states as palliatives to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal, Gov Otti has yet to tell us how he intends to utilize ours.


Before I forget, the Otti administration having elevated lack of transparency, vindictiveness and dishonesty in the state's financials as a POLICY, I doubt if Abians can get an explanation from the Otti government.



Aguoru, a journalist and public affairs commentator writes From Umuahia