Otti denies arrest of youths, elders after peace talks

The Abia State government has denied reports alleging that Governor Alex Otti ordered the arrest of young men and elders who attended a peace talk regarding the ongoing Port Harcourt Road rehabilitation project in Aba.

The governor’s spokesperson, Dodoh Okafor, in a statement issued on Monday, described the reports as “false and misleading.”

“Gov. Alex Otti did not at any time order the arrest of anyone or group of people in connection with any event before and after the flag-off of the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Port Harcourt Road in Aba,” Okafor said.

Okafor stated that the majority of Abia residents, irrespective of their cultural and religious affiliations, support the governor’s decision to rehabilitate the dilapidated road.

“The collapse and subsequent abandonment of Port Harcourt Road by previous administrations cost the city hundreds of billions of naira in earnings, job opportunities and other missed opportunities,”

He also questioned the motive behind the false reports, stating that it “beggars belief that anyone or group would wish to stand against the resolve of the Otti administration to fix that stretch of road, solve the perennial flooding problems in that part of Aba, and make the environment business-friendly once again.”

Okafor, however, reiterated the commitment of the Otti administration to rebuilding and restoring public infrastructure in Abia State.

“Gov. Otti’s resolve to set Abia on a new, more progressive direction remains unshaken. He does not take the goodwill of the public for granted and would continue to respect the opinions of those who gave him the mandate to lead,” he added.