No Crisis, Just Cleanup: Obinna Oriaku's Hypocrisy on RAAMP - A Failed Finance Commissioner Now Cries Wolf Over Reforms

By all objective standards, the Abia Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) is not in crisis. Rather, it is undergoing a systematic overhaul to restore professionalism, accountability, and compliance with World Bank guidelines after years of questionable practices under previous administrations. The recent article titled "Abia's RAAMP in Crisis...ÔÇØ by Obinna Oriaku is not only misleading but riddled with inaccuracies, deliberate omissions, and an undercurrent of political bitterness. It seeks to weaponize institutional reforms for cheap propaganda, ignoring the real story of how Governor Alex Otti's administration is working hard to safeguard and optimize the $570M World Bank-backed programme.

RAAMP, formerly RAMP, is a long-term national programme initiated in 2012 to boost rural infrastructure, farm-to-market connectivity, and economic mobility. It is World Bank-funded and demands rigorous compliance with its operational guidelines. Contrary to Oriaku's claims, World Bank programmes allow for periodic review and even replacement of project personnel where issues of capacity, ethics, or underperformance arise, provided due process is followed.

Let's dissect the claims around coordinator changes. Dr. Babington, the coordinator inherited from the past administration, was part of the original setup under the former PDP government. Contrary to the impression created, his tenure expired and his transition was procedural, not political. His exit was prompted by institutional restructuring aimed at streamlining compliance with the current RAAMP Project Implementation Manual.

Mr. Donatus Chinyere, a seasoned civil servant, was brought in briefly in an acting capacity. He was never confirmed as substantive Coordinator due to issues regarding documentation and internal audit triggers during his brief stay. His reappointment later was again in a caretaking role pending World Bank guidance.

Engr. Ogbonnia, a qualified engineer, was appointed based on merit and project alignment. His eventual resignation, which Oriaku dramatically attributes to "executive interference,ÔÇØ was in fact a result of project bottlenecks linked to legacy procurement issues that predated the current administration. There is no official correspondence from RAAMP or World Bank that accused Governor Otti or his office of meddling.

Chinyere's second return was a stop-gap measure pending clearance of the final recruitment by the World Bank team, a process that includes rigorous vetting, interviews, and due diligence. His reported "contradictionÔÇØ with the Commissioner is being exaggerated. Inter-departmental discrepancies in reports are common in project cycles and were resolved without issue by the RAAMP National Coordination Office.

In total, there were no four confirmed coordinators, only interim arrangements during a transition phase, something that has happened in several states without similar sensationalism.

Contrary to Oriaku's claim that "projects remain stagnant,ÔÇØ facts on the ground say otherwise. The Itukpa-Umuoba 19.2km Road project has moved from flag-off to actual construction, with procurement completed, contractors mobilized, and physical work ongoing.

The three rural market hubs in Arochukwu, Uzuakoli, and Umudike are in different phases of execution. The slight delays are due to environmental assessments and land community negotiations, standard for infrastructure projects of this magnitude.

Seven rural access roads are undergoing bidding and technical review, pending award. These processes are now being cleaned up after numerous red flags were raised during previous reviews, especially during the period Obinna Oriaku served as Commissioner for Finance, when counterpart funding was delayed, nearly costing Abia its place in the programme.

Let us not forget that states in Northern Nigeria Oriaku praises now had uninterrupted political environments for nearly 8 years, giving them a head start.

Abia, however, suffered stagnation between 2019 and 2022 due to failure by the past administration to pay counterpart funds and provide project office logistics, a fact the World Bank flagged.

Governor Alex Otti's administration is taking a technocratic, transparent, and performance-based approach to all development projects. The idea is not to appoint friends or cronies, but qualified professionals who can align with the World Bank's rigorous guidelines. The decision to work closely with the RAAMP National Office before confirming a new Coordinator is a mark of due diligence, not interference.

The Commissioner for Rural Development, Mrs. Ngozi Felix, is playing her role which includes interface with donor agencies and reporting to the State Executive Council (SEC). It is within her mandate to ensure alignment with the state's broader rural development policy. Oriaku's effort to vilify her is both misogynistic and uninformed, as many RAAMP state offices are supervised by Commissioners without issue(s).

It is ironic that Obinna Oriaku, the same man who served in a government that almost got Abia blacklisted from SFTAS and RAAMP, now claims to defend the integrity of World Bank programmes. As Finance Commissioner, his administration delayed counterpart funding, mismanaged budget reports, and left a legacy of mistrust between the state and development partners.

Why didn't Oriaku speak when contractors were owed for years? Why was there no media outcry when the RAAMP office in Umuahia had no utility support or even basic transport until the Otti administration intervened?

The truth is this: Oriaku's sudden interest in RAAMP is not patriotic; it is political. His attack is a thinly veiled attempt to stay relevant in a post-Ikpeazu era where facts, not propaganda, now drive governance.

As of today, the World Bank RAAMP Abuja Office is in active collaboration with Abia, with several key meetings held in the past two months to finalize the selection of a new substantive Project Coordinator. No warning letter has been issued threatening removal. In fact, Abia is on the list of priority states for a pilot rural road data integration project.

It is fair to monitor and critique government programmes. But such critique must be honest, informed, and free from political bitterness. What Obinna Oriaku has offered is a cocktail of inaccuracies, political grandstanding, and reputational sabotage.

Governor Alex Otti's administration is committed to ensuring that RAAMP succeeds, not because of politics, but because Abia's rural communities deserve better. And if past mistakes are being corrected through leadership that values merit over patronage, then Abians should be applauding, not vilifying the effort.

Let's stop weaponizing development. Abia deserves better conversations.

By Philip C. Nwaogwugwu

Political Analyst, Public Affairs Commentator, and Labour Party Loyalist