2023: Ufomadu Endorses Labour Party’s Otti
The gubernatorial campaign of Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, got a boost with an endorsement by a former chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Chidiebere Ufomadu.
Ufomadu, consequently, yielded his entire structure in Urban Ward 3, Amuzukwu, Umuahia, to work for the enthronement of the LP candidate as the next governor of Abia State.
He confessed that he had harboured a wrong impression about the renowned economist and top banker, having been fed with false information about his personality by political opponents and gainsayers.
Chief Ufomba said with the benefit of new information available to him and having observed the front-running governorship candidate in Abia for some time, he now knew better, hence his decision to collapse his structure within the Alex Otti 2023 governorship campaign.
Addressing the leaders of the Ward at the home of Chief Ufomadu, Otti thanked them for their unanimous decision to join forces with him and his party to birth a new Abia State that would be the pride of its founding fathers.
He recalled the enormous contributions made by the former Premier of Eastern Nigeria, Dr. Michael Iheonukara Okpara, a great son of Abia, in developing the state, through the establishment of various industries, including Golden Guinea Breweries and Modern Ceramics Industry, both in Umuahia, and the Aba Textile Mill, Aba.
“Today, most of these industries have all gone with thousands of jobs. Our government is going to bring back these industries, in order to create jobs for the teeming population of the unemployed people in our state. In addition to bringing back the moribund industries, we will establish new ones,” Otti declared.
Otti spoke of plans to ensure steady supply of electricity to residents of Abia. He affirmed that the coming on stream in December of Geometric Energy, which he was instrumental in funding its setting out, when he was the Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank Plc, would solve the problem of electricity in the state.
Besides, the LP governorship candidate said his administration will exploit the use of Lignite to power electricity in the state. He said a study commissioned by him showed that Lignite, also called Brown Coal, is available in commercial quantity in Ikwuano. The natural resource, said to be environmentally friendly, according to him, is used to fire steam electric power generation plants.
“It has the lowest carbon concentration and is the cheapest source of generating electricity, unlike other types of coal and natural gas,” Otti explained.
He described Umuahia, the state capital, as a “glorified village”, promising to rebuild it and make it befitting of a capital city.
According to him, “Umuahia has become a shadow of itself. Apart from the days of M. I. Okpara and Sam Mbakwe, Umuahia has not received attention as the capital of the state. The infrastructure is totally decayed.
“Our government shall make the state a 24-hour economy, create wealth and remodel the infrastructure of the state. We are going to litter the state with industries and create an enabling environment for businesses to excel.”
Elders of the communities from the Ward prayed for safety during the campaigns and victory at the polls for Otti, alongside other Labour Party candidates, and gave him a gift of wrapper and machete, symbolising rest after a victorious battle.
Otti was received at the event by the LP candidate for Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, Chief Obi Aguocha; one of his strong supporters in Amuzukwu, Dr. Chimezie Ukaegbu and other Labour Party leaders and stakeholders in the state.
