Abia-born cleric, Bishop Silas Eke, has urged Governor Alex Otti of Abia State to disclose the details of the road projects executed since he assumed office in May, 2023.
The cleric called for transparency, accountability and the elimination of unnecessary expenditures to cut the cost of governance in the state, stressing that genuine governance is founded on transparency and accountability in governmental operations.
Bishop Eke made the call on Wednesday in Umuahia in a chat with journalists, saying that Abians deserve to know the amount budgeted for each project executed by Governor Alex Otti and its location.
He also called on Otti to provide an estimate of the costs for these road projects and evidence that the contracts were awarded in compliance with the Abia Public Procurement Act.
“I am using this opportunity to remind Governor Alex Otti that Abia State is not his private company. We all elected him to be our governor, and he has to respect all of us for that. We demand for accountability and transparency. It is time for him to disclose the details of the contracts he has awarded and the companies that got them in compliance with Abia Public Procurement Act.
“As a cleric, I demand to know those details because I voted for him. But, it is shocking that we are beginning to see, if not worse, some of the things we saw between 2007 to 2023. We cannot afford to have another emperor in power. It is time to call him to order. Therefore, I’m using this opportunity to call other clerics to speak out against Otti’s style of government. He is running a one-man show, and it is dangerous.”
On the forthcoming local government elections in Abia State, the cleric said he has no confidence in the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC) and Governor Alex Otti to conduct free and fair council elections in the state. He, however, cautioned ABSIEC and Governor against manipulating the elections.
“I don’t have confidence in ABSIEC and Governor Alex Otti to conduct free and fair elections in the state but nevertheless, we will not fold our hands and allow the government rig the local government elections. Those around him should be able to tell him the truth. This is time for the Labour Party to test their popularity. They should not even attempt to rig the elections because it will backfire badly. There was a time in Abia State when opposition parties won council elections across the state. I urge them to allow Abians decide on who they want at the grassroots level.”