Ifejika joyce
A resurfaced Christmas video of former Abia State Governor and Senator for Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, praising Governor Alex Otti has drawn renewed attention, amid Kalu’s recent criticism that Otti has achieved little since assuming office.
In the older clip, Kalu commended Otti’s performance, saying the governor had undertaken projects in Abia North after what he described as 16 years of neglect. He also noted that he was able to travel from his hometown of Igbere to Umuahia within an hour, a journey he attributed to improved road conditions under Otti.
The video contrasts sharply with Kalu’s recent remarks during an interview in which he said, “I’ve not seen anything Alex Otti has done as Governor. He’s just repainting the roads I built as Governor. I’m getting insults cos I’m in the APC.” Kalu claimed that Otti has only refurbished infrastructure constructed during his own tenure and insisted he has yet to witness the construction of any new major roads.
The senator further stated that despite helping Otti emerge as governor in 2023, he will not support him in the 2027 elections, saying that he and his loyalists would instead work for the All Progressives Congress. He also alleged that funds received by Abia State within Otti’s first four months in office matched what his administration received over eight years.
Meanwhile, public discourse surrounding Abia’s infrastructure has highlighted contrasting accounts. Many online reports describe the state as having suffered years of decay across several administrations between 1999 and 2023, with longstanding complaints about poor road networks and unpaid salary arrears reportedly reaching up to eight months before Otti assumed office.
Major roads such as Port Harcourt Road, Omuma Road and Obohia Road were widely regarded as impassable and linked to the abandonment of properties in those areas, according to those narratives.
Watch the video below……………………………………
Precious Chukwuwa
Chisom Orjiogbu
