Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has said new Government House is not the priority of the people, noting that they are rather concerned about enjoying uninterrupted socioeconomic development.
Otti stated this during his monthly media chat tagged “Governor Alex Otti speaks to Abians” for this month in Umuahia, the state capital, adding that where he operates from is of less importance now.
“Abia residents want to see activities not where their governor is living. Where I live is not as important as fixing roads in Aba, Umuahia, and other parts of the state.
“It is not as important as ensuring that both towns are kept clean on a 24 hour, seven days basis. It is not as important as ensuring that our people have good hospitals to go to.
“It is not as important as ensuring that our schools are fixed. Those were the areas I declared state of emergency on. Not the house and where the governor lives.
“So, what the issue is, is that the Government House is important, but not as important as some of the things that I mentioned earlier,” he asserted.
He said when he inspected both the Governor’s Lodge and the Governor’s Office after he assumed office, he observed that they were in terrible states of disrepair, vandalized, and looted.
He announced that his delay in moving into the house was based on careful resource allocation and assured the residents that the house would be fixed in due course.
“Renovating them requires significant funds, but I considered it more urgent to channel those resources into infrastructure, security, health, environment and education.
“I can assure you that in no distant time, since we have taken care of those important areas, we’ll come here and fix the house,” Otti said.
