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The Abia State government has refuted claims suggesting that Governor Alex Otti gave orders for the arrest of young men and elders who participated in a peace talk related to the ongoing Port Harcourt Road rehabilitation project in Aba.
The governor’s spokesperson, Dodoh Okafor, clarified in a statement on Monday that the reports were ‘false and misleading.’
‘Gov. Alex Otti did not at any time order the arrest of anyone or group of people in connection with any event before and after the flag-off of the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Port Harcourt Road in Aba,’ Okafor said.
Okafor highlighted that the governor’s initiative to restore the deteriorated road has garnered substantial approval from the majority of Abia residents, irrespective of their cultural or religious backgrounds.
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‘The collapse and subsequent abandonment of Port Harcourt Road by previous administrations cost the city hundreds of billions of naira in earnings, job opportunities and other missed opportunities,’
He also questioned the motive behind the false reports, stating that it ‘beggars belief that anyone or group would wish to stand against the resolve of the Otti administration to fix that stretch of road, solve the perennial flooding problems in that part of Aba, and make the environment business-friendly once again.’
However, Okafor restated the Otti administration’s strong commitment to the reconstruction and restoration of public infrastructure in Abia State.
‘Gov. Otti’s resolve to set Abia on a new, more progressive direction remains unshaken. He does not take the goodwill of the public for granted and would continue to respect the opinions of those who gave him the mandate to lead,’ he added.
