Connect with us

Politics

Abia governor-elect promises to use Obi’s Anambra model to cut cost

Published

on

Alex-Otti

Abia State Governor-elect, Alex Otti, has promised to use the governance model practiced by Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, when he was governor of Anambra State, to cut costs of running his government.

Otti, while appearing as a guest on Channels Television programme, Poltics Today on Friday, said the model of governance employed by Obi when he was governor between 2006 and 2014, would also be his model.

Otti who on Wednesday was declared winner of the Abia State governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said he would be frugal and economical with state funds to avoid wastage.

“My presidential candidate did very well in Anambra State because he reined in the cost of governance,” Otti said.

“And it’s the same kind of model that we are going to run in Abia. There are only so many jobs you can create in the public sector.”

On the task ahead of him, Otti said:

“I know that the enormity of work that is required in Abia is a lot and I wouldn’t want distractions. I’ve stayed there long enough to know that whenever you start a probe, you begin to get distracted,” the governor-elect said.

On his election victory, he said;

“We were prepared to fight the way we fought in 2015. The votes we garnered in Abia could have been had but maybe the margin could have been smaller.

“That is why it’s always good to acknowledge Peter Obi. He came to Abia about four times to campaign for us.

Read also:ABIA: APGA guber candidate seeks alliance with governor-elect, Otti, calls for rebuilding process

“I think he had done well for us. That is why even the first election out of the eight House of Representatives seats we took six and sent some people on permanent retirement.

“Peter Obi is a great addition to our campaign, but I can tell you that we won an election before in Abia without him.”

Otti who did not rule out the possibility of probing past regimes, said by the time such a probe is done with the probe and there is a report, “which would have indicted a lot of people, the process now begins”.

“That process would then go to the High Court, then the Court of Appeal before ending up at the Supreme Court.

“If you have taken any money, and it’s still with you, return it. But I’m actually not going to dissipate energy chasing real or imagined criminals, real or imagined looters, but I will not allow corruption.

“I will not allow our money to be shared. I’ll like our money to be used to work for our people.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now