Governor Alex Otti has launched a scathing attack on the immediate past administration of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, accusing it of gross financial mismanagement over the failed reconstruction of Port Harcourt Road in Aba.
Speaking on Wednesday at Umuagbai Secondary School during a thanksgiving and carnival organized by the Aba community, Governor Otti revealed that the Ikpeazu-led government allegedly paid N9.8 billion—equivalent to about $29 million at the 2017 exchange rate—to a contractor for the road project, which he claims was never executed.
“In 2017, they awarded this Port Harcourt Road. The amount at that time was N9.8 billion. And they paid out the entire money. But the road was not done,” Otti declared. “When in 2025, the road cost N36.5 billion, they started making noise. I said, since you people understand mathematics, the average exchange rate in 2017 was N333 to a dollar. That means the N9.8 billion was actually $29 million.”
The governor criticized his political opponents and former officials of the previous administration, labeling them “noise makers” who have contributed little but misgovernance and propaganda.
Otti’s comments came as part of a broader celebration of infrastructural progress in the commercial city of Aba, including the recently completed Port Harcourt Road, a key artery for trade and transport in the region. According to residents and stakeholders, the road’s completion has helped revive several dormant businesses.
Highlighting his administration’s focus on development, Otti announced that 20 new electric buses would be introduced in Abia State within the next two months, part of a wider strategy to modernize public transportation and reduce emissions.
In a gesture that drew applause, the governor also honored a local tricycle (keke) driver who returned N2.4 million forgotten by a passenger, praising the man’s integrity as a model for others.
Earlier at the event, the carnival convener Onyeka Ernest Udeajah and the Chairman of the Cooperative Motor Union, Mr. Chukwuma Azodo, expressed gratitude to the Otti administration for rekindling economic activity through road reconstruction and other infrastructural projects.
The remarks are likely to escalate political tensions in the state as preparations begin for the next electoral cycle, with accountability and transparency set to remain at the forefront of public discourse.
