Ex-NALDA Boss Tackles Alex Otti Over Opposition To State Creation



*Commends Governor Uzodimma's stand



Immediate-past Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), Prince Paul Ikonne, has commended Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state for his avowed support for the vexed issue of creation of an additional state for the South-east.

For the Prince, Governor Uzodinma's  principled stand aligns with the position of well meaning Igbos and Nigerians across the different zones who have at various times decried the grave injustice against the Igbos which has innevitably, led to the eastern region having for instance, 15 senators whereas other regions have 18 to 21 senators; more access to federal resources and appointments, with the consequent disproportionate influence in national affairs.

In a statement released Thursday in Abuja by his media aide, Chiagoziem Enoch, Prince Ikonne, viewed Governor Otti's ambiguous stand during the hearing on the 1999 Constitution review, held in Owerri on July 19th as a huge waste of an opportunity for him to stand and be counted for the entire Eastern Nigeria in a matter his counterpart, Senator Uzodima in Owerri showed such zeal to drive.

Otti had said Nigeria does not need additional states since the existing ones lack viability for economic self-sustainability.
 
Ikonne, however, said: "But for those who know the Abia governor, that occasion afforded him the golden opportunity to express his deep resentment and vendetta against a section of Abia who must not be allowed the casual luxury of an innocuous boast of being the indigenes of Aba."

According to Ikonne, Governor Otti has always hated the fact that Aba is located where it is today which unfortunately he  cannot  do anything about.

"Seeing that he lacks the power literally to undo what God has done in his eternal plans, he has resorted to other nebulous ways to express his frustration.

"On assumption of office, the first thing  Governor Otti did was to rush to Aba solely to declare to a crowd of both indigenes and non-indigenes that Aba is a no man's land, an act that was capable of needlessly pitching the indigenes against non-indigenes.

"Many wondered why he had to do that, considering that Aba has always been known to be at peace with its residents, not minding who is an indigene and who is not.

"Thankfully, the Aba spirit and its 'Nwa Aba' cliche, a trans-sectional phrase and aura that has adhesively  bound the city, swallowed that mischievous and ill-intended divisive declaration which had the capacity to initiate deep sectional sentiments in that great city."

The Crown Prince frowned at Otti's" "dubious and infantile attempt to make us believe that an additional state in the East is not viable, and queried his credibility as a first-class economist in 21st century." 

The statement believes that Otti knows the truth, that the new frontier is the knowledge driven economy which Aba and the people of Abia pride themselves of and which has been successfully deployed by countries like Finland, Israel, Singapore, Netherlands and so on.

"The Governor deliberately forgot that the finite nature of natural resources has made proactive administrators to redirect their focus to other initiatives that provide  sustainable development, not prone to the vagaries of nature by depending only on natural resource endowments, but one that will initiate knowledge based programs and policies that will move the new state away from lazily looking up to the Federal Government for monthly handouts as it is presently in Otti's "New Abia."

He further stressed that the clear marginalization of Ndi Igbo has continually provided the canvass upon which the agitation for a sovereign nation for ndi Igbo has rested. He explained that the people who have canvassed for the East to be at par with the other zones in terms of states believe that redressing this ugly imbalance will help to douse the agitation in our zone and offer a feeling of inclusion for Ndi Igbo in the Nigerian state.

"It is therefore worrisome that Gov. Otti who should be in the frontline with the likes of Senator Uzodinma in leading the agitation for the creation of additional state for Abia to address this abnormally is the one leading the gang to frustrate the actualization of an additional state for the South East

"It must be remembered that the agitation for an additional state and the viability of Aba State has passed the needed criteria thresholds.What remains is the declaration of what our fathers have put in their very lives and resources to achieve."

The former NALDA boss encouraged all to commend the frontline leadership of the Governor of Imo state Hope Uzodinma which he said has offered in support of Aba State and called on all well meaning Easterners from every state of the East to que behind him in the struggle. 

He said: "Abians for the avoidance of any doubt, will not relent in demanding for an additional state as it is sine quo non to peace and justice in the Federation."

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