- Pledges To Resuscitate Economy, Create Wealth
By Charles Adingunpu
Despite the glaring evidences of maladministration and financial recklessness that reportedly drained the Abia state treasury, the Labour Party, LP Governorship candidate, whose electoral victory threw the entire Abia into frenzy, Alex Otti has promised never to dissipate energy probing activities of the immediate past Peoples Democratic Party, PDP led administration.
The Governor-elect who made this pledge on the Arise TV Morning Show programme, promised to hit the ground running upon assumption of office by focusing on the immediate expectations of Abians as already encapsulated in the LP manifesto.
“I won’t go after any government official for trial as I wasn’t voted to victimize the people but to create wealth, and cater for their welfare. If there’s no sin, there wouldn’t be forgiveness,” he said.
Otti who also described himself as a servant leader, said that his victory is a victory for the state Civil Servants, Doctors, school teachers and lectures of tertiary institutions and pensioners who are owned backlog of salaries.
Otti who admitted that the enormous challenges in the state was not a “walk in the park,” said he had a knack for picking the right people that would help to develop the state that is already in comatose.
He disclosed that all efforts would be made to look at revenue generation, debt profile and other practicable induces that would help to jumpstart the economy.
In this regard, Otti disclosed that he has begun negotiation with banks to write off interest on loans and restructure of debts as well as acquisition of fresh loan to jumpstart the economy.
He posited that the economy can only be stimulated by payment of Workers’ salaries before the end of this year as priority.
The Governor Elect dismissed fears of raising taxes in order to generate revenue for the state, adding that taxation is government of creating prosperity.
Otti said that his administration would prioritise floating bonds for the state, introduce technology in revenue collection to checkmate the previous dubious method where revenue collection was contracted as political patronage.
The Governor-elect promised to bring the Abia State economy back to track.
