As a private citizen, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR has consistently and extensively written on the politics and economics of State creation in Nigeria, demonstrating his profound insight and expertise in the subject matter, long before venturing into the political public space. As a renowned economist with a stellar background in finance, fiscal policy, and discipline, Dr. Otti’s credentials remain unassailable, and impervious to Prince Paul Ikonne and his mischievous hate rants.
“LIMITING STRATEGIC NATIONAL DISCOURSE TO THE RIGHT OF ‘NGWA NATION’ TO AGITATE FOR ABA STATE IS INDEED PETTY DEMAGOGUERY.”
Governor Otti’s stance on State creation in Nigeria is rooted in his informed conviction that it would exacerbate governance costs and fuel official corruption, benefiting the political class at the expense of the ordinary citizens. Prince Ikonne in his vain attempt to misrepresent, malign and distort Governor Otti’s position paper at the Constitutional Review sitting in Owerri reveals his penchant to trivialize important National discourse and reduce it to tales by moonlight in his village square.
“LIMITING STRATEGIC NATIONAL DISCOURSE TO THE RIGHT OF ‘NGWA NATION’ TO AGITATE FOR ABA STATE IS INDEED PETTY DEMAGOGUERY.”
Governor Otti supports and passionately share in the sentiment of the creation of an additional State in the South-East to correct the age long imbalance against the zone, but believes that addressing Nigeria’s entrenched systemic imbalance requires a lot more and a comprehensive overhaul of the current lopsided Federal structure to strengthen and empower bigger and stronger regional sub-nationals to promote and foster economic viability. He advocates for a Federal system that leverages on Nigeria’s diversity to create an economic powerhouse in continental Africa that can compete with the western economic dynamites. The argument that mere creation of more States will address the grossly imbalance structure and marginalisation against the South-East is watery. It cannot address the issues of loopsided local government numbers appointments into Federal Government establishments, near absence of the South-East in the National security architecture, absence of functional international airport, no seaport or deliberate policy to create an economic zone, no strategic Federal Government presence in terms of investment in strategic National assets, unemployment and poverty, rising insecurity and boundary disputes. The unpopular State creation exercise will further balkanise the country and make it poorer. There is no need reinventing the wheel. Governor Otti advocates for returning back to the regional structure that has worked in the past and it remains his exclusive prerogative to hold on to his conviction in a National discourse or debate, just as Prince Paul Ikonne has the inalienable right to pursue his narrow vision for more States creation, including Aba State without factoring the bogus economic implication and expensive cost of governance associated with it. In a democracy, the decision whether to create more States or not lies with the people of Nigeria and their representatives in the National Assembly before the assent of Mr. President, and not Governor Otti or Prince Ikonne. The agitation for the creation of Aba State is more than 40 years and blaming Governor Otti’s less than 10 years principled position on States creation in Nigeria for not realising a more than 40 years old agitation is both mischievous and irrational.
“LIMITING STRATEGIC NATIONAL DISCOURSE TO THE RIGHT OF ‘NGWA NATION’ TO AGITATE FOR ABA STATE IS PETTY DEMAGOGUERY”
…To be continued.
Ctz. UKOHA, NJOKU UKOHA, is the Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State.
