Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) of Abia State, Chief Ralph Egbu, has berated the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, over his recent verbal attacks on Governor Alex Otti.
Kalu had, during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent visit to Abia and at another public event in Umuahia, claimed that the governor’s achievements were not commensurate with the funds accruing to the state from the Federation Account.
According to him, Abia receives between ₦38 billion and ₦40 billion monthly—claims swiftly debunked by the state government.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, clarified that Abia receives about ₦15 billion monthly.
Kalu had also argued that credit for developments in Abia should go to President Tinubu and not Governor Otti, insisting that the President’s removal of fuel subsidy and subsequent disbursement of more funds to states made such projects possible.
Angered by the Deputy Speaker’s comments, Chief Egbu, in a statement, cautioned him against actions capable of heating up the polity and throwing Abia into needless political tension.
He accused Kalu of acting out of protocol “by giving what appeared like a state-of-the-state address at an event organized by the state government.”
Egbu described the Deputy Speaker’s remarks as “an attempt to downplay the governor’s achievements,” which he said amounted to “a clear act of sabotage.”
“The Deputy Speaker, given his position, has a huge platform to canvass his views on nation-building and politics, including direct access to the President,” Egbu stated.
“He ought to have made his points using those platforms from Abuja. Coming to Abia to make such divisive remarks amounts to playing to the gallery and whipping up sentiments capable of turning our peaceful state into a political battlefield.”
Egbu, a veteran journalist and former Commissioner for Information in Abia State, further described Kalu’s comments as undemocratic and unbecoming of a national leader.
“In saner climes where politics is taken seriously as a pathway to development, the Deputy Speaker would have been facing calls for resignation for saying that in 2027, they would ‘take Abia.’ That is not democratic language.
“It reflects a predisposition to violence and electoral manipulation aimed at achieving parochial interests, and that should not be tolerated,” he warned.
The former SSG also cautioned opposition figures against actions capable of disrupting the peace and progress in the state, condemning their “antics” ahead of the recent project commissioning ceremonies.
“I warn opposition party members within and outside the state against politics that could turn Abia into a killing field as witnessed in some other states.
“I condemn the attempt to demean the governor through distractive outbursts and events before the commissioning in Aba and Umuahia, which were clearly aimed at discrediting the exercise,” he said.
Egbu maintained that there is “no vacancy in Abia Government House in 2027,” insisting that Governor Otti has performed creditably to deserve a second term.
He added that Abians are determined to defend the state’s peace and development against any individual or group seeking to reverse the current progress being recorded across the state.
