Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has warned that any appointee of his administration who gets involved in bribery and corruption would be fired, warning them against getting involved in corruption.
Governor Otti gave the warning at the Abayi District of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in the Aba Conference, where he went to worship unannounced, and at the Headquarters of the Living Word Ministry International, on the occasion of the 50th Wedding Anniversary Ceremony of the General Overseer of the Church and the Chancellor of Rhema University, Brother Emma Okorie, and his wife.
The governor also reaffirmed that what got him involved in politics is to restore the dignity of Abians, saying that he is not interested in anything other than that.
“What we have come to do in Abia is nothing other than restoring dignity… The only reason I showed up to contest elections is about the dignity of our people. It is not about money. Anything that will not restore the dignity of the Abia Man, count us out.
“There is something we are known for as Abians and Igbos. We want to bring it back. All the things that used to happen in the past, under this administration, we will not allow them, except if they are good.
“If anybody tells you to bring money for anything, tell him it is a lie. He’s a dupe because he will collect the money from you and still not do anything for you. If anything is due to you, you will get it without even lobbying or talking to anybody, so that we can also encourage our young ones to grow up to be like us.”
“That is why you will never see bribery and corruption in this government. If you get involved, I’ll fire you. We are intolerant of corruption and nobody can plead for you. If you get involved in bribery and corruption, you are gone,” Gov. Otti stated.
Governor Otti boldly stated that the recently employed 5,394 teachers by his administration, “nobody paid a dime as a bribe. Nobody was hired because of who he knew. Even some of the people who know me very well, I said, ‘Go and write your exam. If you pass, we will take you, but if you don’t pass, we will not take you,” the governor added amidst applause from the congregation.
Speaking further, Governor Otti said that he has no apologies to those who are not happy with his administration’s insistence on doing the right thing.
“Those who are not happy with what we are doing, we will not apologise to them. They have had their time. So we have now drawn the line; from now on, Abia is on the rise,” Dr Otti declared.
Governor Otti disclosed to the congregation that some of the completed road projects in Aba, earlier mentioned by Pastor Macaulay Nwosu in appreciation of the Governor’s good works, like the reconstruction of Port Harcourt Road, Ohanku Road, etc., would be commissioned by President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, next month, on October 3rd.
Pastor Macaulay Nwosu of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Abayi, commended Governor Otti for the good works he is doing across the state – construction and reconstruction of roads, building of hospitals and schools, etc, regular payment of workers’ salaries, which are visible for all to see.
He shared the testimonies of members of his church who got employed in the recently recruited 5,394 teachers by the Abia State Government without any form of financial inducement or favouritism, unlike in the past when such was a standard practice. Pastor Nwosu commended Governor Otti for ensuring that recruitment was devoid of bribery and for ensuring that the right things are done in public service, saying that the governor has done very well and that the church is solidly behind him. The church prayed for the governor and his entourage.
At the Living Word Ministries International, the General Overseer, Bro. Emma Okorie also commended Governor Otti for the massive development that the state has witnessed under his intentional and people-centred governance. He said that the coming of Governor Otti was an answer to their many years of prayers for God to send Abia a true leader who would fix Abia.
Governor Otti congratulated Bro. Emma Okorie, the wife, and the entire family for thanking God for preserving their union for the past 50 years. He said that their story has a lot to teach the younger generation, especially the way they celebrate each other, saying that he was happy to be part of the celebration.
The 50th wedding anniversary ceremony featured the cutting of the cake after the couple had shared the inspiring story of their 50-year marriage journey full of testimonies.
