Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has reaffirmed his administration’s readiness to work hand-in-hand with the Federal Government to curb the spread of small arms and light weapons across the country.

Governor Otti gave the assurance when he received the new South-East Zonal Director of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), Captain Chris Anusiem, and his team at Government House, Umuahia.

He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for strengthening the Federal Government’s fight against illicit weapons through the establishment of the centre and the appointment of his “long-time friend,” DIG Johnson Babatunde Kukum, as Director-General of NCCSALW.

“Virtually all the crimes you see around are committed with light weapons and small arms,” Otti said. “If we don’t eliminate them, or at least reduce them to the barest minimum, we cannot have peace. Security is central to everything we do, and it cannot be handled in silos. We will continue to collaborate with federal agencies to achieve this goal.”

Highlighting the joint security council meetings regularly held in Abia, the Governor stressed the importance of inter-state and inter-agency cooperation to ensure that criminals cannot evade justice by fleeing to neighbouring states.

Captain Anusiem, in his remarks, described the NCCSALW as a key Federal Government initiative to build an illicit-arms-free society, pledging close collaboration with Abia State to keep the region safe. He lauded the Governor’s commitment to peace and security, noting that the proliferation of small arms in the Sahel and beyond remains a major national challenge.

The Governor’s Special Adviser on Security, Navy Commander MacDonald Uba, and other top officials were present at the meeting.

CAN WE JUST ALLOW THIS GOVERNOR TO BREATHE?

Since the creation of Abia State, we have had Governors — men who carried the sacred mandate of leadership but left behind records that today weigh on the conscience of our people.

We had Orji Uzor Kalu, who came into power with youthful energy and political charm, but quickly abandoned the greater good for personal empire-building. The state stagnated under the burden of patronage and self-interest.

We had T.A. Orji, who promised liberation but ended up chaining Abia with policies that favored cronies over citizens, leaving roads broken, institutions hollow, and morale at its lowest.

We had Okezie Ikpeazu, whose era was drowned in rhetoric, endless excuses, and cosmetic projects that never touched the true suffering of the people.

I knew these men. I watched them closely. None of them can honestly be said to have governed with purpose. They pale in comparison to what we are witnessing in Abia State today. They only succeeded in enriching themselves, their families, and their loyalists — while the masses remained trapped in poverty, watching the rest of Nigeria march forward. They were clueless in the art of governance.

So I ask again: Can we just allow this Governor to breathe?

Today, under His Excellency Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, we have a different kind of Leadership, we are witnessing something radically different. For the first time since 1999, Abia has a Governor who came prepared, who understands governance not as a stage for personal drama but as a mission for collective upliftment.

Dr. Otti has shown intentional leadership — purposeful, thoughtful, and focused. He is repairing not just our roads but our dignity. He is rebuilding not just infrastructure but hope. He is redefining governance as service, not as an industry of plunder.

Yet, instead of rallying behind this new dawn, opposition voices — the very architects of yesterday’s ruin — are howling from every corner, desperate to distract him, to derail him, to suffocate progress.

And so I ask again: Can we just allow this Governor to breathe?

The framers of our Constitution, imperfect as it may be, understood the need to shield the Chief Executive from incessant distractions. That is why they enshrined Immunity — not as a license for impunity, but as a breathing space for governance.

The idea, the constitutional wisdom is simple: give the Governor the room to work. Let oversight institutions record, track, and investigate as they must. But let the man elected by the people focus on the task of rebuilding. Opposition is healthy for democracy, but when it crosses the line into nuisance, it is no longer patriotism — it is sabotage.

And so we must ask again: Can we just allow this Governor to breathe?

Under Dr. Otti, Abia has a track Record that Speaks, Abia State is already repositioning itself:

* Roads that had become metaphors for abandonment are being reconstructed with quality never before seen in the state.

* Salaries and pensions, once a nightmare for civil servants, are now prioritized and paid promptly.

* Education and healthcare are no longer back-burner issues but front-burner priorities.

*. Transparency and accountability are not empty slogans but visible practices.

* Investors, once fleeing Abia, are beginning to look our way again.

*. And the long-dreamed Abia Airport project — which his predecessor Ikpeazu could not build — has now been brought back to life under Governor Otti, proving that where there is vision and will, there will always be a way.

The difference is stark. The nation sees it. The diaspora celebrates it. Even those who opposed him during the elections cannot deny that something new is unfolding in Abia.

So the question remains: Can we just allow this Governor to breathe?

Those who plundered Abia for two decades must understand: their time has passed. They cannot hold the future hostage because they are uncomfortable with a leader who has chosen a higher road. The attacks, the noise, the campaigns of calumny — they do not weaken Dr. Alex Otti; they only reveal the desperation of men who fear irrelevance.

Abia deserves peace. Abia deserves focus. Abia deserves transformation without distraction.

And so, with all the weight of history, with the voice of a people who have suffered enough and as a plea to Conscience, I ask one last time:

Can we just allow this Governor to breathe?

Yours Faithfully,

Chief Dr. David Ogba Onuoha Bourdex MFR,OON
—Ugo’Ena” Nde Abiriba…Far from home.

By Ctz. UKOHA, NJOKU UKOHA, Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State.

Right from inception, Governor Alex Otti-led administration in Abia State, has remained very passionate about investment in Digital Technology and Innovation.

The administration has made deliberate efforts not only to conscientise Abia youths on the vast opportunities in the sector, but also made it easily accessible.

A number of trainings and workshops have been organised for youths with apt in digital technology and innovation.

The benefits of these efforts are beginning to manifest as evidenced by the inclusion of four Abians among the participants in an International All – Expense – Paid Seminar on Cloud Data Center Planning and Construction, scheduled for Hubei, Jiangsu, and Henan Provinces, People’s Republic of China, from today, July 17th to August 6th, 2025.

This is a testimonial of the global appreciation and reciprocity of the Governor’s efforts to make Abia a major digital hub in Africa.

The seminar, organized and sponsored by the Wuhan Research Institute of Posts and Telecommunications (FiberHome Technology Group), through the Office of the Consul General, will cover critical topics including: Cloud Data Center Design and Security,
Application of AI, and 5G in Data Networks, Smart City Infrastructure, and International Exchange on Digital Transformation Practices.

Gov. Otti has so far demonstrated firm commitment to promoting global exposure and technical excellence among public and civil servants in line with his administration’s core vision.

Under his focused and transformational leadership, Abia State is being repositioned as a beacon of innovation, transparency, and infrastructure-driven prosperity.

The up-coming international engagement in China and its likes which had in the past, eluded the State, have now become frequent since Otti came on board.

This seminar represents yet another milestone in the ongoing effort by the Otti-led administration to align Abia’s human capital with the demands of a competitive global digital economy.

The Abia contingent, is among other things, expected to engage fully with the programme, prepare a brief national presentation on Nigeria’s and Abia’s data infrastructure efforts, as well as contribute to post-engagement reporting and knowledge sharing.

Upon their return to the State, the participants including three civil servants, are expected to contribute to Abia’s digital transformation agenda.

Just recently, Governor Otti granted automatic employment to 19 best-performing graduates of the digital training programme, TechRise, organized by the Abia State Government and the 17 Local Government Mayors in conjunction with LearnFactory Nigeria.

The Governor who announced the automatic employment during the graduation ceremony of the Abia TechRise ICT training programme held at the JAAC Building Secretariat in Umuahia, said that the gesture was aimed at promoting digital technology in the State.

He had also directed that another set of 850 trainees, representing 50 persons from each LGA be taken for the second batch of the TechRise ICT training, with a further instructed that the graduands be given laptop computers for the training to enable them, upon graduation, start business with the knowledge they have acquired.

Governor Otti has never hidden his administration’s commitment to empowering people with 21st-century, viable skills especially ICT where the world is now drifting towards.

This aligns with his philosophy that rather than giving someone a fish, it’s better to teach our people how to fish.

The Abia TechRise, a transformative initiative by Governor Otti has become a vehicle for the empowerment of Abia youths with practical digital skills within three months and issuing them global passports to become global citizens.

As aptly captured by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sir Uzor Nwachukwu, “Abia TechRise is not just a training programmes, it is a movement, and a platform for unlocking the latent potentials of Abia youths and positioning them for relevance in the 21st century digital economy.”

Gov. Otti’s intention is to make Abia the leading exporter of digital and ICT experts across the globe in the years ahead.

The onus is now on Abia youths to take advantage of this golden opportunity and acquire digital skills for global relevance.