Can Benjamin Kalu’s Claims Hide Otti’s Tangible Impacts in Abia?

Francis Ikonne

Anyone who had been to any part of Abia State recently and listened to or read the claims being currently made by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, about a phantom ‘poor governance’ in his home state, Abia, you will weep for unguarded Nigerian politicians who in their desperation to please some overlords in Abuja are remotely forced to do or say things unbecoming.

Unknown to such unwary politicians, such schemes, in most cases, are ironically designed to destroy the politicians’ blossoming careers in the interest of their callous overlords.

Such seems to be the case of Kalu, who last Sunday, told Nigerians, when he addressed members of his party, All Progressives Congress (APC) and members of Renewed Hope Partners (RHP) in Umuahia, Abia State, that Governor Alex Otti-led Abia State Government “has under performed,” considering the huge funds it currently receives monthly.

As the lawmaker puts it: “The state (Abia) received an average of N38billion monthly from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), and various federal interventions, including flood relief and agricultural support funds.”

Accusing the Otti-led Abia State Government of focusing more on publicity than development, he said, “Abia has been bombarded with staged photo ops, documentaries, and well scripted speeches that celebrate imaginary achievements.

“Yet beyond the cameras, the reality of life in Abia remains grim. Schools are in shambles, hospitals lack essential facilities, roads are deteriorating and the economy is stagnant.”

He added: “The Alex Otti administration must stop chasing critics and start delivering results. With N38billion flowing into its coffers every month, multiple federal interventions and international loans at its disposal, Abia State has no excuse to remain in it’s state of decay.”

Coming from a top lawmaker, the claims Kalu raised here are weighty enough to attract full attention of any well meaning Abian or Nigerian.

But the first issue that must determine the people’s reaction here is whether or not the claims he made are true? 

Has revenue in the hands of Abia State Government increased during Governor Otti’s government? The answer seems to be yes! Is the increased funds entirely due to federal monthly allocations and interventions? The answer is no!

Is it true as Kalu alleged that in spite of the increased funds,  “the reality of life in Abia remains grim; that schools are in shambles; that roads are deteriorating; that Abia State economy is now stagnant and that Abia is today in a “state of decay?” Of course, the answer to these claims is no! 

The truth of the matter is that Kalu may think he has been assigned a great job of de-marketing an obviously performing governor in the South-east ahead of APC’s dream of hijacking Abia State and the South-east in the 2027 elections, but in my opinion, what he seems not to acknowledge is the fact that any political campaign anchored on lies is not likely to endure.

Will it not be a better campaign strategy for a more responsible opposition to first acknowledge the ongoing economic development revolution being led by Otti’s government before suggesting or perhaps, making promises of what APC hopes to do better if given the chance in 2027 to govern Abia State?

Unfortunately, Benjamin Kalu-led opposition party, APC, seems to lack the patience and humility to give credit to whom it is due. They prefer to tell Abians naked lies and half truths as if the people there are blind.

Given his current plum position in the House of Representatives and the fact that he has faired relatively well in his Bende Federal Constituency, one will not blink an eyelid before acknowledging that Kalu may be one of the likely personalities APC may anchor its 2027 campaigns in Abia State and some other South-east states. 

But the question that must be asked is, must this great political task of capturing the South-east be achieved only by utterly destroying this young man’s credibility? Must he be urged to tell his people that what is, does not exist? 

Why, if not to destroy him politically, will a bright young politician in the mould of Kalu, with so much promise, be urged by some ruthless overlords to embark on such a political suicide mission of selling obvious lies to a people that have seen the worst of governance anyone can think of? 

No one, not to talk of a son of the soil like Kalu, needs to be told that Abia people, and indeed Aba people are currently witnessing, under Governor Alex Otti-led Abia State Government, the best governance they have witnessed, especially in the area of massive infrastructure development. 

Notwithstanding that the constructions are there to speak for themselves, it is a marvel that the cartel behind the current political campaign of calumny ahead of 2027, will successfully force Kalu of all people, to be the one that will look the people in the eyes and tell Aba people and Southeasterners that Otti has not fixed the once death trap now known as Aba-Port Harcourt Road or Ohanku road, etc? 

Is it not a fact that in the tick darkness of the night, one may choose to lie about the colour of his cloth but once the day breaks and light shines, everyone can tell whether the cloth is actually white or blue. 

In case Kalu and the APC leadership do not know, Abia State is no longer covered in darkness. With the coming of Otti’s government in 2023, the day has broken in God’s Own State; the light has come and so the people can now see and tell when a government is truly constructing the roads and bridges it claims to be constructing. 

Take a walk to Ngwa Road Market area in Aba, and behold the wonder that is today’s Ohanku road before responding to Kalu’s criticism of Otti. 

Just take out time today and drive from Umuahia through Uzuakoli, Akara, Alayi, Igbere and Item (the last three communities being part of the Bende Federal Constituency that Hon Benjamin Kalu still represents at the House of Representatives.) This road, which stretches from Umuahia to Item, Igbere, Abiriba and Ohafia, and offers direct access to Uzuakoli, Akoli, Nkpa, Ozuitem, Isuikwuato, Akara, Alayi, Ugwueke, Igbere, Item, Nkporo, Abiriba, Edda, Ohafia, etc, is one of the major federal roads in Abia State long abandoned before the emergence of Alex Otti as governor. After the trip, any well meaning elder close to Benjamin Kalu will advise the young man to change tactics as lies and half truths may sound punchy and so attractive to a reckless politician but they certainly do not endure.

By grace, Kalu has emerged a blossoming political leader in Abia State and in Nigeria but considering his current actions and unbelievable utterances, it seems some ruthless overlords somewhere are out to force upon him some curious de-marketing assignments in his own political root, ahead of some planned 2027 power hijacks.

If this fear is true, it will be fair to immediately warn the Deputy Speaker that this route will not be in his political interest.

This is because lies can only create temporary doubt and confusion, it cannot remove physical infrastructure development, which is there for everyone to see in broad daylight.

Otti’s footprints are bold enough for all to see. To deny them, is to mock oneself and to diminish ones credibility.

Recently, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Richard Mills, led some top US diplomats to Abia State on a working visit. While in God’s Own State, they saw tangible developments that Benjamin Kalu denies. 

Commenting on their visit and findings, US Ambassador Richard Mills said to Gov Otti: “Your leadership in Abia has brought real change here, positive change. Your focus on infrastructure, on security challenges, has really transformed the state. And we believe that it is a powerful example of how to improve governance, really, across the Southeast.”

Shortly before that US diplomat’s visit, European Union delegation, led by Ambassador Gautier Mignot, also visited Abia to assess Otti’s governance and development claims. Like the US delegation, Mignot-led European Union delegation also praised Otti. 

If Kalu fails to see the tangible progress which these foreign diplomats saw in Otti-led Abia, it can only be that he is beclouded by dirty Nigerian politics.

May I advise him here that there is no amount of negative propaganda that will change the fact that Dr Alex Otti-led Abia State Government has concretely impacted on Aba-Port Harcourt Road,  Ohanku Road and the numerous others in Aba, Umuahia and others. 

As a top lawmaker in Nigeria, Kalu’s interest and concern today should be how to protect legislature’s freedom in Nigeria, how to ensure peace and unity in his constituency, state, region and country; how to pass laws that will impact positively on his constituents; and how to help his state government to ensure real urban and grassroots development and the wellbeing of his people.

It should not be how to champion disunity and unnecessary political rancour in the name of opposition politics and craze for 2027 power hijack.

As the Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives at a time like this, it should be taken for granted that the Bende Federal Constituency, which he represents, his state, Abia, and his region, the Southeast, will naturally respect and look up to him to represent them boldly and truthfully at the federal seat of power in Abuja and to help attract federal interventions just like his colleagues at the two hallowed chambers at the National Assembly are also doing.

Such quality representation certainly should not include deliberate de-marketing of the state government, marketing of outright lies and misrepresentation of facts to deceive the common people.

•Ikonne writes from Aba.