PORTHARCOURT, OHANKU ROADS CAN PASS OFF AS NARROW ROADS “APIAM WAYS” only in the psyche of lunatics: A rejoinder to a serial liar, JOHN OKIYI KALU.

By Ctz. U. N. UKOHA

“If you cannot see, at least you can hear, The first deserves to be celebrated – Abia is the first State in the entire Southeast to fund a project executed by the construction giant, Julius Berger” – Ctz. U. N. UKOHA (2025).

My prodigal brother, John Billion believes that rolling in the muck is the best way to get clean. I will refuse the temptation of mistaking him for a pig. However, if his case has worsened to a point that an elephant has become an insect in his eyes, I will advise the Psychiatric Doctor handling his case to triple the dose of his injection.

What was the hullabaloo about the commissioning of completed projects in Abia State by Mr President? Is it not achievement enough that Governor Otti has tackled Abia’s infrastructural and social challenges to the point that the only pressing challenge left is to bring the President to the State?

A working or State visit by a sitting President is a big deal, but good governance is not measured by mere Presidential visits but by the extent to which the infrastructure serves the welfare of the people. The President ably represented by his Minister for Works has come and gone but the completed infrastructure will remain to serve the people for years even beyond the tenure of the President.

I had mentioned earlier in the year that we were dealing with a few lunatics on the loose in Abia State in the guise of displaced desperate opposition elements and some concerned people at the time urged me to name them. The one-day visit by Mr. President ably represented by the Hon. Minister of Works to commission life-changing projects and infrastructures completed in Abia for use by the people has exposed the identities of the few rampaging lunatics

In the 24 dark and locust years of Abia State, projects were commissioned by different Presidents but I can point out the commissioned projects and allow the undisputable King of Liars, John Okiyi Kalu to point to the gigantic and legacy features of the said projects.

In the year 2000, President Obasanjo commissioned Roads in Aba under Governor Orji Uzor Kalu. It is for JOK to show Abians the gigantic legacy of the road projects. In 2009, President Jonathan commissioned the Ossai Road, Umuahia under Governor T. A. Orji. JOK must show the gigantic legacy of the project to Abians. In 2019, President Buhari commissioned the 9.5MW Ariaria Independent Power Project, a Federal Government Project, licensed by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), funded, constructed, and to be operated by Ariaria Market Energy Solutions Ltd. (AMES) under the Rural Electrification Agency’s Energising Economic Initiative (EEI) with zero funding from Abia State Government as claimed by the undisputable King of Liars, JOKe. It is for the intended 37,000 beneficiaries at the Ariaria International Market to confirm if the said commissioned project is powering their businesses or was a scam in disguise as they continued relying on power generators to drive their businesses.

Governor Otti reconstructed the very strategic Ohanku and Port-Harcourt Roads abandoned for more than two decades. The reconstructed Port-Harcourt and Ohanku Roads corridors are beyond just roads. They are hope restored, opportunities expanded, creativity reinvented and economy reimagined. The two strategic roads have resurrected over 5,000 moribund SMEs and opened up the pathway for thousands of new startups. Both roads link Aba South to Ugwunagbo, and Ukwa LGA. The Roads ease entry into Aba from the Garden City of Rivers State and other parts of Rivers State, opening Abia markets for Rivers and Bayelsa States.

Abians had experienced enough of JOK’s mischief and short-sightedness, and would rather excuse his kinsmen to sort out his obvious madness. As one of his kinsmen, we are just doing what is expected of us. In the words of Sen. Darlington Nwokocha, “Kirikiri Ana Agba Onye Ara bu Ka Akpa Ya Eriri”. It is our duty to tie him down to take his injection and we cannot disown him, not even now.

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

The Secretary General of the New Nigeria People’s Party- NNPP, Comrade Oginni Olaposi Sunday, has expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s choice of Prof. Amupitan as INEC chairman.

Comrade Oginni spoke against the background of the usual controversies surrounding the appointment of INEC chairmen in Nigeria.

Recently the National Council of States approved the appointment of Amupitan to take over from Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu as INEC chairman.

According to Oginni, Amupitan already has his work cut out for him and should hit the ground running as soon as his appointment is confirmed by the National Assembly.

“The first task for Amupitan is to change the narratives of the bartered image of INEC and restore the trust of Nigerians in the umpire.

“INEC’s image has been so eroded over the years that the first task before Amupitan is to fight systemic corruption and the wrongs of the Commission, and create confidence and trust.

Amupitan needs to thoroughly study the commission and correct the issues that Mahmoud ignored before the Commission. Make appropriate recommendations to the President on who should stay or leave the Commission for sanity to reign.

According to Oginni, President Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council members must have seen Amupitan’s capacity before nominating him, pointing out that the President is truly committed to righting the wrongs in Nigeria, and may be starting from INEC.

What we need in Nigeria at the moment is leaders who can make informed and hard decisions if we must re-create the Nigeria of our dreams.

“Our experience with INEC over the internal leadership crisis in our great party has given us insight into the ills of the commission on how the body works.

For the immediate past leadership of INEC to ignore subsisting court orders and directives to upload the NNPP’s new national executives was a shocker and very shameful to constitutional democracy.

“What could have stopped the former INEC boss from obeying the court orders needed to be researched. These and many more are part of the issues that can erode a people’s confidence in an institution.

“Amupitan has the choice to either follow the path of past INEC chairmen or write his name in diamond. It is our hope that the Acting National Chairman shall clear the mess quickly before he assumes duty to start on a clean slate.

“Unattended matters, especially disobedience to court judgments, should be cleared forthwith. It is still like a daydream to us that some bad eggs in INEC connived and fraudulently changed the logo and colour of our party symbols without the consent of the founding members and the holder of the original certificate of registration.

“INEC did the conversion without asking or sighting the original certificate of registration of the New Nigeria People’s Party. This simply means that anyone can approach INEC and change the logo and colour symbols of APC, PDP, LABOUR, and others just like that.

The ills of INEC are so many and grievous to the extent that it does not have respect for the rule of law, court judgements, and internal democracy of political parties. Otherwise, how can INEC be dealing with expelled members of a party and to the extent of conniving with them to change the logo and colour symbols of NNPP to kwankwasiya movement insignia led by Senator Rabiu Musa KWANKWASO?

This is reckless, corrupt fraudulent, and a total abuse of power to ignore court judgements and the internal democracy of a registered political party in Nigeria.

“The NNPP shall join mr president and good people of Nigeria to give the new leadership maximum support and pray that he is not distracted in carrying out his duties,” Oginni added.

Labour Party lawmakers in the House of Representatives have accused Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu of arrogance, political recklessness, and attempts to undermine Governor Alex Otti’s administration in Abia State.
In a strongly worded statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, members of the Abia Labour Party (LP) Caucus in the House of Representatives said they were “dismayed” by what they described as “unguarded and unhealthy utterances” by Hon. Kalu, who represents Bende Federal Constituency.
The lawmakers recalled that shortly after assuming office as Deputy Speaker, Kalu “boasted” that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would capture Abia in 2027, flaunting his “number six” ranking in national protocol as though political power were “a personal trophy.”
“Such careless talk was not only unintelligent and insensitive but also unbecoming of a public officer who ought to embody humility and emotional intelligence,” the statement read.
The caucus accused Kalu of “inciting the Federal Government and the ruling party at the centre against the Abia State Government” and of peddling falsehoods to discredit Governor Otti’s administration.
They alleged that Kalu’s actions were “driven by personal ambition and power-drunk tendencies, even at the expense of the peace of Abia State.”
Governor Otti has shown respect to the President and maintained a cordial and constructive relationship with him. In that same spirit, Kalu ought to accord due respect to the Governor—not only because he is the Chief Executive of the state but also out of cultural decorum,” the statement continued.
The legislators reminded the Deputy Speaker that Governor Otti had extended goodwill to him by hosting an elaborate state reception in his honour when he assumed office and by directing LP lawmakers to support his emergence as Deputy Speaker— gestures they said Kalu had failed to reciprocate.
They listed several ongoing federal and state-backed projects facilitated by the Otti administration, including Port Harcourt Road, Ohafia–Arochukwu Road, Omenuko Bridge, and the soon-to-be-flagged Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene Road, describing them as “tangible results that bring hope to ordinary people.”
“As he always boasts of being ‘number six,’ Hon. Kalu ought to leverage his office to support these projects for Abia’s growth rather than playing cheap politics,” the caucus declared.
They cautioned that if Kalu’s “divisive rhetoric” continued, he risked finding himself “at odds with Ndi Abia,” adding that the people were “politically discerning” and could see through his “selfish antics.”
The statement reaffirmed that Governor Otti enjoys a cordial relationship with President Bola Tinubu and that “no amount of political scheming” could derail the state’s progress.
“We call on all Abians—young and old, market women and traders, professionals and elders—to stand united behind Governor Otti’s transformational agenda and reject any attempt to drag the state backward,” the lawmakers concluded.
Picture: House of Reps Labour Party Caucus