Dear Governor Alex C. Otti
The time has come for some of these personal trips to be jettisoned in the interest of Abians. For the 3rd time this year, you have embarked on these lectures at foreign universities at the expense of Abians, who are mostly ravaged by extreme poverty.
The first two trips cost Abians about N70m according to published reports by your government.
Since you came to power just over a year ago, you have spent about N700m on foreign trips that have returned zero value to Abians. You have simply continued in the path of your predecessor, something you vehemently criticised.
These self-serving state funded adventures are proving unsustainable for a state which has refused to pay its workers the national minimum wage of N70k per month, a state where there is:
– No constant electricity, your community of Umuehim Nvosi has been in darkness for several months.
– No water supply anywhere in the state, even in your community.
– No good public schools, the primary & secondary schools in your community are not fit for pig farms.
– No good health centres, including the one in your community.
– No functional hospital in your LGA, in fact, none exists.
– No ambulance services in the state.
– No emergency services in the state.
– No single investor attracted to the state, none in your community.
– No jobs created by your government, you have actually sacked thousands of Abians from the civil service, people who you should have used these wasted funds to pay.
– No major development project ongoing in the state.
– No human capital development project ongoing in the state.
– No good roads in most parts of the state, with none ongoing in your community, despite a spend of over N100bn on road projects.
Dear sir, it is inhuman and insensitive to continue to waste public funds in this manner on futile trips that return zero value to Abians, when the same people you govern, whose funds are being used to fund these personal adventures can barely afford a meal in a day.
It is very disingenuous to continue to give lectures on good governance at foreign universities when workers in most of the state-owned tertiary institutions are owed over 20 months wages, while you spend about N100m daily to run your governor’s office.
We acknowledge that Abia House of Assembly whose job is to challenge these acts of executive rascality lacks the cojone to do so, we have therefore taken it upon ourselves to speak up, in the interest of our people, who barely know if there is a government in the state.
The time has come for you to consider pulling the plug on these zero value visits, which serve only your personal interest. It is also time to consider reviewing your cost of governance, which as at today is the one of the highest in the country relative to the state’s earnings.
Sir, while we have maximum respect for our leaders, it is very important that citizens may decide to write these foreign universities to question the need for inviting leaders from foreign states ravaged by poverty such as Abia, when the funds claimed for one of these personal trips could have been used to pay the annual salaries of about 150 of the disengaged Abia workforces who were being paid N18k per month before their fateful dismissal.
It is also important to note that citizens may be compelled to visit the venues of these wasteful adventures to respectfully question our leaders such as yourself, about the cost vs benefits of these adventures to our people. UK is a democracy where citizens can question their leaders about the use of public funds, without being threatened the way you threatened me for questioning you during your campaigns.
Sir, please note that we will not abuse you, threaten you as you did or tarnish your reputation in anyway, but it will be embarrassing to question our leaders on the need for such visits in public places.
Dear Dr Alex, it is time to make Abians the priority in your governance.
STOP THE WASTE!
Yours sincerely
Eke O Ako
Scotland, UK.
