By Ugochukwu Alaribe, Umuahia
Abia state governor, Alex Otti, has said that he is not at war with his predecessors over any matter in the administration of the state.
The governor stated this in a statement signed by his special adviser on media and publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, following allegations that he had abandoned the ‘Okezuo Abia flyover’ built by the Dr Okezie Ikpeazu administration at Osisioma Ngwa, along the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway.
A portion of the ‘Okezuo Abia flyover’, which was built by the Ikpeazu administration, had developed a pothole, causing motorists to avoid one of the lanes.
The statement noted that the state government has taken note of the situation and is putting measures in place to make a lasting intervention.
It added that the state government has ignored utterances that it wants to discredit the former governor that built the flyover and has never made any comment against the former administration.
The statement read, “In the last few weeks, we have seen and read all kinds of petty narratives concerning the Okezuo Abia Flyover.
“This time around, the anger is that the government has not moved in to protect the flyover from collapsing.
“The funniest narrative is that the present government left it unattended to so as to humiliate Ikpeazu.
“The toxic critics have suddenly “realised the need for the government to intervene and save the flyover – a flyover that is just 4 years old. What hypocrisy!
“My message to these critics is that this government is not petty. The assumption that there is a war between this government and its predecessors, including the immediate past government, is a facade created by some idle persons who use their poor narratives of such an imaginary war to advance their political and economic interests.
“The government has since taken note of the serious integrity issues surrounding the flyover and, as usual, is putting measures in place to make a lasting intervention.
“The government is not interested in any narrative aimed at painting any individual or government black; however, the government will not hesitate to ask serious questions and take necessary actions to correct whatever was wrongly done, if need be, given the fact that the flyover cost the state enormous resources and the people stress throughout the five years it took to build it.
“Since assumption of office, Governor Alex Otti has in practical terms demonstrated his strong belief in the philosophy that “government is a continuum” by either completing projects that were abandoned for several years or by rebuilding and remodelling those that were poorly built.
“During one of our State Executive Council meetings shortly after the Governor assumed office, a certain Commissioner stood up to talk about what needed to be done to sanitise the surroundings of the Okezuo Abia Flyover from the chaos and lawlessness seen around the area. The Governor interrupted him because he called it “Osisioma Flyover” and demanded that he properly call it by the name it was given, “Okezuo Abia Flyover”.
“The said Commissioner corrected himself and called it “Okezuo Abia.” The governor further responded and said, “Yes, that is the name. We are not interested in erasing anyone’s legacy, so we cannot call it by a name different from what the man that built it named it.
“In 2024, I accompanied the Commissioner for Works, who boasts massive experience from the Federal Ministry of Works and who was Federal Controller and Executive Director of FERMA before retirement, to the Okezuo Abia Flyover following signs of failure observed on the flyover.
“Accompanied by some other engineers from his ministry, they inspected the flyover and made some observations.
“The Commissioner later reported that though there were a few errors, they didn’t pose any serious threat. A few days later, work was done on it, with a promise that his ministry would keep monitoring it. The government did not make any comment against the government that built it, but all we read were toxic and condescending utterances suggesting that the government wanted to discredit the governor that built it. We ignored the noise.”
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