The Abia State House of Assembly has strongly condemned the recent comments made by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, in which he claimed that Governor Alex Otti was underperforming.
Kalu, who represents Bende Federal Constituency, reportedly made the remarks during an event last Sunday, accusing Governor Otti of poor performance in office.
Reacting during a press briefing at the assembly complex shortly after plenary, Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, described Kalu’s statement as “insultive and offensive,” insisting that the Deputy Speaker must retract his words.
According to Emeruwa, “You cannot be leading by deceiving the people. For him to come to Abia State pretending to support the government while projecting himself as a better alternative is unacceptable. You cannot be a better alternative when you lack the integrity to be one.”
The Speaker noted that Abia had suffered years of decline until 2023 when Governor Otti assumed office. He said the synergy between the executive and legislative arms has repositioned the state for growth.
“Even if you are blind, you can be told of what has transpired in Abia. I have never seen it this good. The roads are now motorable, refuse dumps have disappeared, and the environment is clean. Before now, Abians lived in filth, but today, the story is different,” Emeruwa said.
He maintained that the Assembly would not tolerate any attempt to discredit the governor’s achievements. “Ben Kalu should not think he can be governor of Abia State. He cannot even penetrate my constituency. We give Governor Alex Otti our full vote of confidence and stand by his leadership till 2027 and beyond,” the Speaker declared.
Contributing, the Deputy Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Augustine Okezie, affirmed that the entire House aligned with the Speaker’s position.
According to him, “There is no lawmaker in this 8th Assembly who is not grateful to serve under Governor Alex Otti. He has made our legislative duties easier because our resolutions and laws are promptly implemented. We have a governor who is prudent and efficient in managing resources.”
Okezie questioned Kalu’s motives, saying, “One wonders if the Deputy Speaker is truly for the people. He doesn’t need a prophet to tell him that Abians and Nigerians are happy with Governor Otti’s administration.”
He further explained that the government’s achievements were not about increased allocations but about visionary leadership. “Abia has not received more than its statutory allocation, but under Otti, the same resources are being used more effectively. That is the difference between this government and past ones,” Okezie said.
He emphasized that the people of Abia are now politically aware and would resist any attempt to seize power through the backdoor. “If anyone wants to contest for governor, the people will decide through their votes. The era of imposing leaders is over,” he added.
The Assembly concluded by reaffirming its vote of confidence in Governor Otti and urging the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives to withdraw his statement and refrain from making further misleading comments about the state.
