THE immediate-past Commissioner for Information in Abia State, Eze Chikamnayo, has slammed Governor Alex Otti for appointing Anambra State born-billionaire Ide Udeagbala as Mayor of Aba City.
In a statement made today, Chikamnayo cautioned that his fixation on selecting or giving preference to non-indigenes at the expense of locals could set the state on fire.
Otti on Saturday announced the selection of the renowned industrialist as Mayor of Aba City amid controversy.
In a viral video speech to stakeholders, the governor stated that the era of indigenes and non-indigenes mentality in the state is ended.
Only merit, he maintained, will determine who gets what in his government.
The new mayor, who is from Ozubulu in Anambra State’s Ekwusigo local government area, is a Harvard University graduate.
Chikamnayo, today urged President Bola Tinubu and security services to summon Otti to order so as to prevent the state from devolving into a crisis as a result of his utterances.
The statement titled ‘Stop Alex Otti before he sets Abia on fire’ emphasized that Aba is divided into two closely knit villages known as ‘Aba Na Ohazu,’ emphasizing that the city is not a no-man’s land.
The statement reads in part, “Non-indigenes from other parts of Abia State and or Igbo lands like old Bende, Anambra, Enugu, Imo State or Ebonyi, regardless of their wealth or status should never allow themselves to be deceived by Mr Alex Otti to assume that they can mutate into the owners of Aba. By recklessly declaring that Aba is a no man’s land, Otti is inadvertently setting Abia on fire and instigating avoidable unrest in that peaceful city.
“For reasons best known to him, he is ostensibly trying to stoke this fire of indigene and non-indigene dichotomy to further insult the Ngwa Nation and polarize the polity. Since assumption of office, the governor’s penchant for playing to the gallery is legendary. If he truly wants to patronize his fellow big men like Bourdex, Udeagbara and others, he must not reduce them to canon fodders thereby setting them up against the people.”
“Can Mr Alex Otti go to Umuahia and tell Ibeku and Ohuhu people that Umuahia North is a no man’s land? Can he go to Owerri, Onitsha, Port Harcourt or Warri and make such an inflammatory, nonsensical statement.”
