THE AUDACITY OF HYPOCRISY IS GLARING – PREACH WHAT YOU PRACTICED: A REJOINDER TO PAUL IKONNE, OBINNA ORIAKU ET AL LIES WITH STATISTICS

Wes Fesler description resonates deeply, ‘Hypocrisy is the Audacity to Preach Integrity from a Den of Corruption’. This aptly captured individuals like the Paul Ikonnes, Obinna Oriakus, John Okiyi Kalus, Eze Chikamnayos, Don Ubanis, who dominated Abia’s political landscape for most part of the locust years. In 24 years of the fourth republic, Abia was plagued by corrupt political class who amassed wealth without enterprise. The legacies of their public service are evident in their ill-gotten riches and primitive acquisitions while the State and her people suffer and suffocate. These former public officials during their infamous years in office were just gathering, sharing and plundering Abia’s resources, in total disregard to the welfare of the citizens. As they prospered, the State crumbled, leaving the people impoverished. It was a classic case of 24 years of, ‘The Merriment of Abia Political Class, The Funeral of the Citizens’.

With Governor Otti at the helm for 26 months, he has executed a stunning turn around, reshuffling the deck and reordering the political landscape. Abia has witnessed a dramatic shift, akin to an ‘About-Turn’ in a military context parade, where those who led are now relegated to the back, while those who trailed are brought to the forefront – all by the stroke of Governor Otti with the mandate of the people. This development has sparked jubilation among citizens across the State, marking the demise of the corrupt and anti-people old guards. No wonder the bitter outrage and wailing, driven by frustration and desperation is coming from those who dominated the destruction and misrule of Abia for 24 long years. Just google the names of those who have been complaining and wailing even before the inauguration of Governor Otti on 29th May, 2023, they were former this and former that with their data boys.

A schoolmate recently urged me to ignore Obinna Oriaku’s claims, citing a telling encounter at the airport where Obinna was spotted clutching Darrell Huff’s ‘How to Lie with Statistics’, a book that eerily resonates with his tactics and this chance meeting sheds light on Obinna’s modus operandi. Ekwedike, the former Pro Bono Finance Commissioner who earned and collected Millions from Government coffers as Pro Bono compensation, now proclaims transparency and accountability, despite his government’s lack of transparency during his tenure. Ironically, the government he served failed to publish quarterly financial reports, yet now he purports to be an expert in financial analysis.

Obinna’s belated and sudden advocacy for transparency and accountability rings hollow and his credibility has worn thin, thanks to his constant questionable claims. Obinna’s claims about N75 Billion Abia external loan surge are dubious, and he will need to reconcile his claims with data from credible sources like Debt Management Office (DMO), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), and the 2025 State Performance Index by Philip Consulting. It seems Obinna is taken Darrell Huff’s book to heart, but perhaps not in the way the author intended.

Governor Otti inherited an education sector in shambles and upon assumption of office in 2023, he declared a state of emergency in education to tackle a sector in crisis. Public schools at the basic and secondary levels were virtually non-existent, while private schools thrived with exorbitant fees. The number of out-of-school children was skyrocketing, and State owned tertiary institutions were in decline. The Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) had lost accreditation due to 26 months of unpaid salaries, crumbling infrastructure, and decay. Abia State University itself was a shadow of its former self, with 12 months of unpaid salaries, dilapidated infrastructure, and lost accreditations.

The Abia State Polytechnic (now Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic) struggled with 33 months of unpaid salaries, dwindling student enrollment (from 24,000 to under 3,000), and lost of institutional accreditation. The Abia State College of Education Technical in Arochukwu was abandoned, with 36 months of unpaid salaries, more lecturers than students numbers, and lost accreditations. The Abia State College of Health and Management Technology was operated like a secondary school, plagued by management disputes and insubordination, including dwindling enrollment. Despite the enormity of these challenges, Governor Otti’s administration came prepared and intentional to address them. While the cynical few, led by the petty sectional demagogue Prince Paul Ikonne, may deny the reality, the facts speak for themselves.

Abia State’s 2024 Q4 financial report highlighted a significant milestone in Governor Otti’s deliberate commitment to drive an education friendly, human capital development and knowledge-based economy. The Q4 financial report documented the Executive Council’s approval of N54 Billion for the reconstruction, renovation, retrofitting, and equipping of 221 public schools, as well as the establishment of 20 Smart Schools. This initiative follows the government’s efforts to recover public schools that were illicitly coveted or sold by individuals associated with the previous administration and their proxies in the guise of returning schools to original owners.

The same characters responsible for the destruction, coveting and auctioning of public schools from 1999 till 2023, are now hypocritically demanding transparency in the allocation and deployment of funds for the restoration of public schools which they had hitherto destroyed, coveted and sold. The current government has made significant progress in recovering these schools, and conducted thorough needs assessment to determine the required interventions.

The need assessments carefully conducted by the Government, unravelled the existence of a staggering deficit of nearly 10,000 teaching staff, prompting the recent hiring of over 5,380 new teachers, with another 4,000 scheduled to be hired in specialized areas. Additionally, over 1,000 education inspectors are being recruited to ensure quality learning and infrastructure maintenance.

Inspite of the giant strides, bitter cynics and petty sectional demagogues like Prince Paul Ikonne seem to be stuck in the past, expecting business as usual like when all accruals into the State account are shared and distributed among the so called stakeholders and Ndi Apata Uku of the old and retired guards. However, this administration operates differently, with transparent financial reporting and no upfront cash payments to contractors until they meet specified milestones agreed in the contract document. Governor Otti’s commitment to transforming public schools is comprehensive, total and ongoing.

Prince Paul Ikonne in his uninformed write-up about N54 Billion on the 2024 Q4 financial report for the reconstruction, renovation, retrofitting and equipping of public schools demonstrated his limited knowledge and understanding of financial reporting. In his corrupt mindset, he assumed that the N54 Billion has been spent or embezzled, a practice akin to their era in Government. Prince Ikonne sees all Governments from the prisms of his time in office. He is wrong and must wake up from his slumber. Things and Time have changed.

I attach herewith pictures and list of some of the schools currently receiving attention for Ndi Abia to see and verify while allowing Prince Paul Ikonne and his gang of demented lootocrats to continue looking for the schools on photoshopped billboards. In Ekwedike’s preoccupation with reading Darrell Huff’s book, ‘How to Lie with Statistics’, I urge him to spare some time to lecture Prince Paul Ikonne on pro-bono basis, the interplay between budget, accruals, contract awards, payment and financial reporting. It will help him to be better informed in his further parochial, bais and hate riddled engagements.

Ctz. UKOHA, NJOKU UKOHA
Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State.
06-08-2025.