Youths under the banner of the Abia Youths Interest Group, AYIG, have advised the state governor, Alex Otti, against using state resources to finance Labour Party operations and Mr Peter Obi’s court battle.
Mr. Otti is the only serving governor on the opposition Labour Party LP platform.
Peter Obi, who finished third in the 2023 presidential election, has filed a legal challenge to President Bola Tinubu‘s triumph.
Leaders of the Abia Youths Interest Group warned at a press conference in Abuja on Sunday that if the state governor funds the LP presidential campaign, it will harm the state’s economy, welfare, and development.
They challenged the governor to make public the costs of numerous contracts in the state’s execution.
According to Henry Chigozie, who read a prepared letter on behalf of the youngsters, funding for Peter Obi’s appeal has resulted in the retrenchment of around 10,000 civil servants in the state, robbing Abians of the benefits of democracy.
However, the state government recently denied firing 10,000 civil servants, claiming that only those employed between December 2022 and April 2023 were let go because some were ghost workers, while others were illegally employed and had their appointment letters criminally backdated.
He said;
“We, the Abia Youths Interest Group, the national umbrella body of all progressive youths of Abia irrespective of political affiliations, have observed with dismay the following dangerous developments, that if not immediately checked will plunge our dear state into avoidable socio-political crisis and financial quagmire:
“That Mr. Alex Otti is (among those) funding the Presidential Court case of Mr Peter Obi leading to massive retrenchment and sack of citizens thereby depriving Abians of the dividends of democracy. So far, in less than 3 months, over 10,000 Abia workers have been retrenched. This is unacceptable.
“In Otti’s Abia, transparency and accountability have been relegated to the background. No one knows the costs of projects nor contractors working on projects in Abia.
“That Mr Alex Otti is creating crisis and instigating political unrest in Imo state thereby creating political instability in the South-east. By asking a sister governor to immediately write his handover notes, such unguarded and reckless statement which is capable of creating disunity amongst these states, can also lead to crisis amongst unsuspecting citizens.
“In view of the foregoing we wish to draw the attention of the nation, well-meaning Abians and the relevant security agencies to these sinister activities and urge all concerned to take necessary steps to ensure that the interests of our great state and nation are not jeopardized.”
Also addressing, the group’s spokesperson, Dr. Stephen Ukpai Ukwa, said the Labour Party-led Abia administration should remember that the state’s youngsters are watching and will reject any act that jeopardizes Abians’ well-being.
“Mr. Governor should know that Abia youths will resist any act that will cause problems between us and the President of Nigeria. We will resist any act that will endanger the lives of Abia people. So, any act that will lead to the mismanagement of Abia state funds should stop forthwith.”
