In a constitutional governance, the Opposition is the spice of democracy. Though the essence of Separation of Power, via creation of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Arms of Government, is to guarantee checks and balances, without adequate constructive engagement of the Opposition on issues of governance, Governments in power would take the governed for granted. The necessity for checks and balances which is the beauty of democracy would be defeated.
It would be recalled that from 2014 when the current Governor of Abia State, Dr Alexander Otti, decamped from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, joined All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and, so, became a prominent opposition politician, he was unrelenting in his vituperations against the PDP and Government then in power. He was even reported on video(s) that went viral to have introduced elements of crudeness, vulgarity and indecency in his opposition politics. Reportedly, there was a video in which Otti was portrayed as openly singing inexplicable defamatory libellous songs against former Governor T. A. Orji (Ochendo), and the then sitting Governor Okezie Ikpeazu. In the said song, he was alleged to have alluded to former Governor T. A. Orji as a ‘rogue’ from Ibeku, (onye oshi Ibeku) and former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu as a ‘rogue’ from Obingwa, (onye oshi obingwa).
Neither Ochendo nor Dr Ikpeazu ever took him to Court because they knew he was acting within the limitations of decency and his understanding of governance. No body cared to to disturb him or even call him to order.
Ironically, the Otti that became a Governor in 2023, after having lost both in 2015, and badly beaten to a distant 3rd position after Dr Uchechukwu Ogah who came 2nd to Dr Ikpeazu in 2019, has been very hostile to any person that holds a dissent view on his performance as Governor of Abia State. He has no iota of tolerance for the Opposition in the State.
Unfortunately for him, he can not stop the Opposition from asking fundamental questions concerning governance in the State. The Opposition in Abia State, unlike what was alleged to be his own style of opposition, are neither raw nor vulgar. They are not aggressive in their posturing. They only ask for accountability, which should be in the overall interest of governance and development.
Therefore, Governor Otti should not give himself the false impression that the Opposition in Abia State can be intimidated not to carry out its expected role for checks, balances and good governance in the State. What then are the questions being asked by the Opposition in Abia State that the Government of Abia must have to answer today that he is in government or after 2027 when he would have left as Governor?
Below are some of the questions that beg for answers;
(1) Where are the 51 Smart Schools the Government of Abia State, on its own Government Website, claimed to have constructed with a humongous sum of Fifty-four Billion Naira (N54b)?
(2) Why is Abia State Government repulsive to the demand that Abians should be shown the location of the N6.5b Recreation Centre it claimed to have built in the State with Tax Payers’ money?
(3) Should the ICT Hub that the State Government reportedly built at a whoping cost of N2.5b not have a geographical location anywhere in the State?
(4) Why has Abia State Government bluntly refused to listen to the advice of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that Local Government Councils should be allowed access to their statutory allocations from Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC?
(5) Has Abia State Government any justification to appoint 37 Permanent-Secretaries in her Civil Service and refused that Ukwa-West should have even a slot?
(6) In a constitutional democracy, should Abia State Government run Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission as a personal enterprise, refusing to constitute the Board of the Commission in accordance with the law establishing it?
(7) Without wishing to sound inquisitive, on what basis is someone’s private residence being used as Abia State’s Government House, far away from the State Capital, Umuahia, with the private residence being maintained at the expense of State Government’s resources?
(8) Why are Civil Servants in Abia State on Grade Level 14 earning less than N120,000 monthly while their counterparts in Imo, Enugu, and Ebonyi States, for instance, earn much more above N350,000 a month?
(9) What offence did Abia Public Servants commit for which they are denied both their promotions and leave allowances?
(10) On what basis should Abia State Government force Pensioners in the State to forfeit their Pensions, leading to many deaths amongst them?
(11) Why are Traditional Rulers from Ukwa-West Local Government Area which is the only Oil and Gas-Producing Area of the State treated very disrespectfully, unlike what happens in other Oil and Gas-Producing States?
(12) Is it proper that Local contractors in the State should be isolated from engagements in the State?, and
(13) Why do State Government transactions in the State lack transparency and accountability?
The above thirteen questions, unarguably, are asked in good faith and, of course, in the overall public interest of the State. Visibly, there is no insult intended.
Sir Don Ubani is a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Abia State, and Publisher of Equity Global Reporters Ltd.
