Otti Threatens to Sack Dishonest Officials

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has issued a stern warning to government officials and personal aides, to avoid unwholesome practices or face “heavy consequences.”

He issued the warning yesterday during the swearing-in of two newly appointed Special Advisers and heads of government agencies, saying that he would instantly sack anyone found to be engaging in dishonest practices.

He said: “This administration has zero tolerance for corruption and the fastest way to get yourself out of the team is to engage in dishonest practices.

“For clarity, let the warning be given in advance that once we establish any case of self-serving activities that go against the values we subscribe to as a government, we shall be left with no other option than to ask you to leave.”

Aside from issuing a red card, Otti said that he could also go further and “hand over (the culprit) to the law enforcement agencies for further investigations” for possible prosecution.

The governor said that serving in his team is not a tea party, and “not an assignment that will earn you the whole riches in the world.”

This, according to him, is “because stealing, asking for, and taking kickbacks, or engaging in phony deals, the type that fattens the bank accounts of individuals while impoverishing the public, are completely forbidden.”

However, he assured members of his team that they would not be allowed to suffer in penury for accepting to render services to the state as they “have not been called on a journey of self-immolation.

“As a responsible government, we shall provide everything you need to operate effectively. At any rate, the biggest pull for this job is not in how wealthy you become at the end of your term but in the satisfaction that comes from serving your people.”

Otti also told the appointees that they should derive joy and satisfaction in “the opportunity to be part of history, shape the future, and one day, teach our children from the vantage point of experience about the virtues of service, sacrifice and courage.”

Casting his mind back to the past 59 weeks of his administration, Otti reminded the appointees that the expectations of Abia people remain “understandably high and we just cannot afford to fail.

“Your appointment is a call to service, and nothing else should matter. Ndi Abia at home and in the diaspora are praying for our success because this is a government they installed.

“As leaders, our duty is to work to make life better for the people whose goodwill and enduring support brought us here.”

In an apparent justification of the continuous expansion of his team list, Otti explained that it was dictated by “the responsibility of building the new Abia State which our administration has been saddled with.”

He said that building a new Abia State “requires the consistent identification, and recruitment of the right individuals whose skills, competences, and experiences will be very useful for the rebuilding and restoration efforts.”

The governor, who was palpably breathing enthusiasm on the appointees, charged them to serve Abians with sincerity of purpose, adopting “the principle of fairness in all their engagements with Ndi Abia.”

Though he demanded that his appointees must live above board and give their best at all times, Otti acknowledged that as humans “it is certain that mistakes will be made and it will be impossible to make the right calls at all times.”

But he assured the appointees that he would “always be available to support and guide” them to correct mistakes when they occur hence they should “not hesitate to call for help whenever it becomes necessary.”

Otti noted that as a result-oriented government, the works of functionaries would speak for them, adding: “We hope to start seeing remarkable institutional improvements as you settle down to business from today.”

In all, 17 appointees were sworn in, including Dr. Green Amakwe, Special Adviser on Investment Promotion; Kenechukwu Nwosu, Special Adviser on Education, as well as 15 members of three commissions.

The inaugurated commissions are Abia State Commission for the Welfare of Disabled People, with five members; Civil Service Commission, four; and Abia State House of Assembly Service Commission with six commissioners.