Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has commended the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for directing that newly commissioned police officers be posted to their states of origin.
The Governor describes the policy as a significant step towards strengthening community-based policing and internal security.
Otti gave the commendation on Thursday in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area, when 31 Abia-born officers of the 7th Regular Course of the Nigeria Police Academy paid him a courtesy visit.
The governor noted that officers deployed to unfamiliar environments often encounter challenges such as language barriers, cultural differences and limited understanding of local terrain, which could affect effective policing.
According to him, posting officers to their home states enhances familiarity with local languages, customs and security dynamics, thereby improving intelligence gathering, crime prevention and trust between the police and host communities.
Otti observed that the policy mirrors a long-standing practice in the Nigerian Army, where personnel are routinely posted to formations within or near their states of origin, especially at early stages of their careers, to leverage local knowledge and strengthen civil-military relations.
He said the army’s experience had shown that home-state deployment promotes discipline, accountability and cooperation with local populations, while reducing friction arising from cultural misunderstandings.
The governor commended the Inspector-General and his management team for extending a similar principle to the Nigeria Police Force, noting that the initiative was capable of deepening community policing nationwide.
He expressed satisfaction with the presence of the officers in Abia and acknowledged their requests for support, assuring them that the state government would explore ways to assist, as it had consistently done in the past.
Otti congratulated the officers on their commissioning and prayed for their safety and success in the discharge of their duties.
Also speaking, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Monday Ubani, urged the officers to remain focused and uphold the highest standards of integrity, honour and professionalism.
Ubani warned them against involvement in criminal or fraudulent activities and cautioned against turning policing into a transactional exercise where citizens are required to pay money before their complaints are addressed.
According to him, policing should be anchored on justice, service and security, not financial inducement.
Speaking on behalf of the officers, Assistant Superintendent of Police Somtochukwu Irozuru said Governor Otti’s leadership had restored public confidence and inspired young people to embrace service, integrity and sacrifice.
Irozuru said the posting of the officers to their state of origin was aimed at strengthening community policing, describing it as the first time such a policy had been applied to newly commissioned police officers.
He described the deployment as a privilege that would deepen their bond with the people and appealed to the Abia State Government for support in welfare needs, including accommodation, mobility and laptops, to enhance effective policing and career development.
He thanked the governor for granting them audience despite his busy schedule and pledged the officers’ commitment to the peace, security and development of Abia State.
Even as states in Nigeria’s North grapple with existential security challenges, some southern states continue to push forward with strategic development initiatives.
One such state is Abia, where Governor Alex Otti has assented to the Startup Bill passed by the House of Assembly, officially enacting it as the Abia State Startup Law, 2025.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting held in Umuahia.
Kanu said the law was designed to domesticate and implement the Nigerian Startup Act, 2022 within Abia State.
According to him, the legislation provides a framework to promote innovation, support technology-enabled startups, nurture digital talent, and position Abia as a hub for technology and innovation.
“The law applies to companies with major operations in Abia and startups duly recognised and labelled under the national Act,” he said.
The commissioner also announced plans to roll out a state-owned electric bus mass transit system under the Abia Transport Transformation Project.
He said the first batch of 20 electric buses arrived in November, while another 20 are expected early next year. About 100 buses will be deployed in the first phase of the project.
Kanu explained that the 40-seater buses, which are custom-built for Abia, can travel up to 400 kilometres on a single charge.
He added that the buses are equipped with modern safety and comfort features, including surveillance cameras, charging ports, disability access, emergency exits and fire extinguishers.
According to him, the initiative will position Abia at the forefront of clean and environmentally friendly mass transit in Nigeria.
On long-term planning, Kanu disclosed that the Abia 25-Year Development Plan would be unveiled on Tuesday at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia. He said the event would attract development partners, advisory council members, local government chairmen, traditional rulers and other stakeholders.
In the health sector, the commissioner said the Abia Global Medical Mission commenced on Monday and would run until December 20, 2025, offering free advanced medical services across designated centres in the state.
He also announced that 850 youths would graduate from the second cohort of the Abia Techrise ICT Training Programme on Saturday, bringing the total number of beneficiaries trained under the programme in 2025 to 1,399.
Kanu further said the Ministry of Works was carrying out direct labour interventions on major roads ahead of the yuletide.
He urged residents to remain vigilant during the festive season and report suspicious activities to security agencies, noting that security agencies have been placed on full alert to protect lives and property across the state.
Umuahia, Abia State – Governor Alex Otti on Tuesday presented a N1.016 trillion Appropriation Bill for the 2026 fiscal year to the Abia State House of Assembly, describing it as the “Budget of Acceleration and New Possibilities.”
The proposed budget represents a 13 per cent increase over the 2025 appropriation of N750.28 billion and is aimed at fast-tracking infrastructure expansion, enhancing social services, and deepening ongoing reforms across the state.
Of the total outlay, N811.8 billion, or 80 per cent, is earmarked for capital projects, while recurrent expenditure accounts for N204.4 billion, representing 20 per cent of the budget.
Compared with 2025, the capital vote increased by 32 per cent, and recurrent expenditure rose by 33 per cent to support daily operations and new personnel.
Governor Otti highlighted allocations for key sectors, with education receiving N203.2 billion, including N150.4 billion for salaries of at least 15,000 teachers and new school infrastructure.
Plans include constructing 17 model primary and secondary schools, three technical colleges, staff quarters, and over 100 ICT laboratories. Tertiary institutions will receive N52.8 billion for staff salaries and new facilities.
The health sector is set to receive N149.7 billion, representing 15 per cent of the budget, for the acquisition of new equipment at Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba, 23 other facilities, and the renovation of seven general hospitals.
Road construction and rehabilitation will take N169.3 billion, or 16.7 per cent of the budget, with priority given to the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene, Ahiaeke-Okwuta-Bende, and Umuahia-Umueze-Agwu roads.
The transport sector is allocated N11.1 billion, including N6 billion to fund 80 additional electric buses, complete transport terminals, and build bus shelters.
Other allocations include over N229 billion for agriculture, entrepreneurship, youth development, sports, ICT, women’s empowerment, housing, environment, and urban renewal.
Governor Otti projected the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) to reach N223.4 billion in 2026, up from a target of about N100 billion in 2025.
Recurrent expenses will be fully funded from IGR. Federal allocations are projected at N83.2 billion from FAAC, N67.1 billion from VAT, N26.5 billion from grants, and N168 billion from other federal sources, bringing total revenue to N607.2 billion.
The governor indicated a budget deficit of N409 billion, or 40 per cent of the budget, which will be financed through concessionary loans strictly for capital projects. He stressed that loans would not be used to fund recurrent expenditure.
Governor Otti urged the House to consider and pass the budget, emphasizing its importance in sustaining the state’s development trajectory.
Responding, Speaker Emmanuel Emeruwa noted that the state had inherited a deep fiscal hole in 2023 but praised the administration for restoring stability.
He said the 2026 budget reflects growing responsibilities and expanding development needs and commended the governor for prudent fiscal management.
Emeruwa assured the governor that the House would thoroughly review the estimates and support initiatives that benefit the state.
Government, in its noblest form, is a sacred trust, ordained to uplift the governed, as John Locke decreed: “The end of government is the good of mankind” ( Two Treaties of Government). In Abia, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti redeems this covenant, reigning as the state’s apotheosis, a sui generis steward whose two years have sculpted a New Abia from the ruins of neglect. With Promethean zeal and an economist’s precision, this hors concurs governor has paved roads and lit skies, transmuting despair into a citadel of hope. As Abraham Lincoln declared, “The best way to predict the future is to create it” ( attributed). Otti, architect of Abia’s destiny, forges a future where faith in governance is reborn. For me, a diaspora son of Anambra whose heart beats for Aba, his feats are a personal redemption. My frequent sojourns in Aba and Port Harcourt; summers lost in Ariaria Market’s frenetic bustle, dodging Ngwa Road’s treacherous craters, navigating nights cloaked in Osisioma’s oppressive darkness, revealed a city strangled by misrule. From abroad, I marvel at Otti’s alchemy, conjuring resources for structural magic that shames Nigeria’s profligate elite. His love for Abians, etched in every asphalt vein and electric pulse, ignites a political awakening, daring us to ask: could Nigeria’s leaders, blessed with abundant means, restore the nation’s glory, yet choose to plunder its soul? Behold the marquee of excellence, a presidential beacon whose legacy restores Aba to glory.
Roads: Paving Pathways to Prosperity
Abia’s roads,once a labyrinth of ruin,now gleam as Otti’s testament to progress. As Nelson Mandela averred, “A leader is like a shepherd…letting the most nimble go out ahead”( Long Walk to Freedom). Otti, Abia’s shepherd, declared a road emergency on May 29, 2023, unleashing a renaissance. Over 40 roads shine anew, with Aba’s Port Harcourt Road—-where my treks to Eziukwu Market and my travels to Port Harcourt faltered amid axle- snapping potholes—-reborn under Julius Berger’s mastery. Cemetery Road, Umuimo Road,and MCC/Old Express Road boast smooth asphalt,while Ossah Road in Umuahia,aglow with solar lights, rivals global capitals. Beyond Aba( my Enyimba City), Umuahia-Uzoakoli and Umuokomiri-Obehie knit communities together. My memories of Ngwa Road, where traders cursed rutted paths, haunt me; Otti’s roads erase that shame. Unlike past Abia governors, whose 24- year PDP reign left 50 roads forsaken, Otti’s 16 rehabilitated and six new projects dazzle. Compared to Nigerian leaders, whose vows dissolve, Otti embodies Machiavelli’s dictate: “A Prince must build on solid foundations”( The Prince). His roads are arteries of commerce, binding Abians to dignity.
Electricity: Illuminating Abia’s Future
Otti’s conquest of darkness crowns Abia a beacon of power. As Ronald Reagan proclaimed, “Government’s first duty is to protect the people”( Inaugural Address,1981), and Malcolm X affirmed, “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything”(Speech,1963). Otti stands resolute,protecting Abians from years of darkness through the Abia Electricity Law,seizing 60% of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company’s assets. The Alaojii Power Station revival energizes Aba, while the Geometric Power Plant, ignited February 26, 2024, delivers 141 megawatts to nine local governments. Solar initiatives, like Solar for Health, light hospitals, and Independent grids ensure steady supply. I recall Aba’s nights, where kerosene lanterns cast flickering shadows over Osisioma’s stalls; Otti’s 24-hour power banishes that gloom. Past governors let Aba’s industries wither, but Otti outshines their inertia. Unlike Nigerian incompetent leaders, mired in power quagmires, Otti’s electric pulse is a love letter to Abians, fuelling dreams.
The Alchemy of Resources: A Political Awakening
How does Otti conjure funds for this structural magic? Abia’s revenue soared from N19.8 billion in 2022 to N24 billion in 2023,fueled by transparent e-taxation. He cleared N72 billion in debt, paid arrears,and axed ghost workers, borrowing only for progress. Unlike predecessors who plundered,or Nigerian political leaders whose budgets vanish, Otti heeds Immanuel Kant: “Act so that you treat humanity—-always as an end and never as a means only”( Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals). His fiscal wizardry stuns,raising Rousseau’s query: “Why are the people so often deceived by their leaders?”( The Social Contract). As a boy from Anambra, my frequent sojourns to Aba saw Ariaria’s chaotic stalls, Eziukwu’s traders haggling under dim lamps, Ngwa Road’s ruts jolting my steps; Otti revives those hopes. From abroad, I see his transparency —- publishing budgets,scrapping ex-governors’ pensions—- shame Nigeria’s political elite. Otti’s governance, rooted in love, stirs a political consciousness,echoing Marcus Garvey: “A people without the knowledge of their past…is like a tree without roots”( Philosophy and Opinions). He proves Nigeria’s salvation lies in will, not wealth
Governance: A Meritocratic Maestro
Otti’s meritocracy—- appointing technocrats,irrespective of state of origin,not kin—-defines his administration,unlike Tinubu’s nepotistic plunder. His court, wise and bold, echoes Lee Kuan Yew’s advisors, shaming Nigeria’s political and professional sycophants. His 2023 Road Revolution, rebuilding Port Harcourt Road with Julius Berger, sparked no scandal, unlike Tinubu’s Rivers State charade. Montesquieu’s maxim, “The spirit of moderation should be that of the legislator”( Spirit of the Laws,1748),exalts his integrity. My Anambra heart, stirred by Port Harcourt Road’s beauty, rejoices in his virture, like Trump’s brash accountability.
A Legacy of Glory
Age is no barrier to leadership,for wisdom may crown the old or vigor the young, as history attests. Abia’s governor, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, a political titan at 60, proves brilliance transcends time. He soars where his Nigerian political contemporaries stumble. Aristotle declared, “Excellence is never an accident”(Nicomachean Ethos); Otti embodies this, his vision a lodestar for Nigeria’s political firmament. Unlike lesser men, he joins political giants like Konrad Adenauer, rebuilding Germany at 87; Lee Kuan Yew, forging Singapore at 42; Javier Milei, slashing Argentina’s deficit at 54; Nayib Bukele, securing El Salvador at 40; Ibrahim Traore, defying empires at 37.
A Legacy of Love and Leadership
Dr. Otti is Abia’s cynosure, his roads and lights a hymn to his people. As Rotimi Amaechi lauded, his works are “incredible”(The Guardian, June 7, 2025). Unlike past governors, whose legacies are potholes, or Nigerian political leaders chasing headlines, Otti builds with purpose, embodying Winston Churchill’s maxim: “Success is not final…it is the courage to continue that counts”(Speech,1941). My Aba memories: Ariaria’s pulse, Eziukwu’s lanes, Osisioma’s dark nights, Nnamdi Azikiwe’s neglected Road—-once spelt decay; Otti’s Abia is glory reborn. His structural magic indicts Nigeria’s political wastrels, proving, as Martin Luther king Jr said, “The ultimate measure of a man is […] where he stands at times of challenge”( Speech,1963). Otti stands tall,a presidential titan, beckoning Nigeria toward a boundless future.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has taken former Abia State Governor, Senator Theodore Orji, his son, Chinedum Orji, and three others to court over alleged mismanagement of public funds.
The case was heard at the Abia State High Court on Friday.
The EFCC accused them of conspiracy and misuse of billions of naira meant for state development.
Others charged alongside them include former Finance Commissioner Dr. Philip Nto, former Director of Finance Romanus Madu, and a contractor, King Obioma.
The charges, filed in October 2024, include allegations of misusing N22.5 billion security funds between 2011 and 2015, N2 billion meant for small and medium enterprises from the Central Bank, and N12 billion from the Paris Club refund.
They were also accused of misusing N13 billion from a loan granted to the state by the former Diamond Bank.
During the court session, all the defendants denied the charges.
The judge granted them bail at N50 million each and set the next hearing for June 18 and 19, 2025, when the EFCC will present its case.
One of the defence lawyers described the charges as excessive but expressed satisfaction that the court granted bail.
The EFCC now has the responsibility of proving the allegations against the accused persons when the trial resumes.
Respite may soon come the way of victims of recent flood disasters in parts of the country as the Nigerian Senate has called upon the federal government to swiftly enact emergency provisions to ease the pain of victims of recent floods in several communities within Abia North Senatorial District, Abia State.
The Senate resolution follows a motion calling on the Federal Government to urgently make Emergency Provisions for victims of flooding in some communities in Abia North Senatorial district of Abia State.
The motion was sponsored by Senator Orji Uzo Kalu, representing Abia North who made an impassioned plea, saying that heavy rainstorms accompanied by lightning and thunderstorms had ravaged the region, resulting in tragic loss of lives and extensive damage to property.
Support for the motion was resoundingly echoed by Senators Austin Akobundu of Abia Central, Enyinnaya Abaribe of Abia South, and Osita Izunaso of Imo North, who joined in urging the Federal Government to intervene urgently and provide relief to the affected communities.
Deputy Senate President Senator Barau Jibrin commended Senator Kalu for bringing the motion forward, emphasizing the ongoing efforts of the federal government in infrastructure development and pledging thorough consideration of the motion’s demands.
The Senate observed a minute of silence in honor of those who perished in the disaster.
The Senate further mandated the Committee on Legislative Compliance and Environment to ensure swift implementation of the emergency provisions and to report back to the Senate within four weeks.
The Abia State government has refuted claims that it instructed Northern cattle dealers at Lokpanta Market in Umunneochi Local Government Area to relocate to the North.
Earlier reports suggested that traders in the market had appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene and prevent their eviction from Lokpanta market by the Abia State government.
These traders asserted that Governor Alex Otti’s administration had given them a two-week notice to vacate the market.
However, Navy Commander MacDonald Ubah (retd.), the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, addressed the media in Umuahia and categorically dismissed these claims as baseless and malicious.
Ubah clarified that the government had only implemented a policy to change the operational hours of the cattle market. Instead of being a residential area, it would now operate daily.
He accused those circulating the rumor of distorting the government’s straightforward directive to create confusion and tarnish the reputation of Governor Alex Otti’s administration.
He explained that the governor had never issued an order for Northerners to leave the cattle market but had simply decided that the market would no longer function at night due to security concerns.
The decision was a response to the area’s history as a hotspot for criminal activities.
Ubah elaborated, “Three weeks ago, we took deliberate and measured actions in response to persistent reports of kidnappings in the Uturu-Umunneochi axis. During our operations, we discovered shanty brothels with over 160 rooms. These were identified and demolished, and we confiscated millions of Naira suspected to be proceeds from kidnapping.”
“Criminal elements had turned the median of the Expressway into a parking lot, creating artificial traffic congestion and using the opportunity to alert their fellow gang members about the approach of their victims. We made arrests, and investigations are ongoing. Our plan is to make the market a daily one, like any other market in the state. It is impossible to attract development to an area plagued by kidnapping, armed robbery, and other security issues.”
He noted that the cattle market, once a place for peaceful cattle trade, had transformed into a hub for criminals, rogues, and kidnappers. It had relocated from the Garki area, now the site of the ShopRite, to Ubakala, and then to Okigwe in Imo State.
