SPECIAL REPORT: DO NOT ALLOW IKPEAZU TO SMILE ON OUR SORROWS AGAIN, PENSIONERS BEG ALEX OTTI - BY FERDINAND EKEOMA

[caption id="attachment_38338" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Pensioners and Alex Otti in a meeting.[/caption]

The Abia pensioners who gathered for their monthly meeting in Umuahia had invited Dr. Alex Otti as their preferred candidate to come and interact with them on some of his would-be policies on assumption of office.

Introducing Dr. Otti to the audience, their state Chairman described Dr. Otti as an amiable man known and respected in many quarters for his character, intellectual endowment and record of excellence in the corporate world, hence their decision to align with him.

Dr. Otti expressed joy over the opportunity to interact with the pensioners, and thanked them for the massive support they gave to him in 2015.

He told them that if they had followed developments in his campaign train, they would observe that welfare of pensioners has been one of his major talking-points, and disclosed that top on his priority is to quickly clear salary and pension arrears shortly on assumption of office as governor, insisting that such a measure would help jump-start the economy of the state.

Dr. Otti took the floor and led the pensioners on over one hour voyage of sound and fact filled tutorial that bothers on Economy and Governance, and regretted that because the state is led by people who do not know how the economy works, they take critical policies and program like payment of salaries and pension, investment in infrastructure, job creation, security etc for granted, thus causing general economic hardship in the state.

[caption id="attachment_38340" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Abia State Pensioners during the meeting with APGA gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Alex Otti OFR.9[/caption]

He regretted that power is in the hands of people who are physically and spiritually hungry to the extent that they know nothing about creation of wealth and general economic prosperity, and assured the weeping pensioners that both the greedy godfathers and their godsons shall be shown the exit door, else Abians would begin to flee the state in droves as a result of economic hardship.

He reminded the pensioners that he is not a politician, rather a concerned Abian who was compelled by the near hopeless situation in the state to step out and arrest the Abia's dangerous drift to doom, and reassured the pensioners that he has what it takes to positively rewrite the history of the state in a way everyone would be proud to associate with Abia State.

The financial expert whose speech was repeatedly interrupted by series of applause from the highly excited and expectant pensioners, expressed disappointment that Abia is topping the table of all known negative indices, and told his audience that one poor economic policy, like refusal to rejig the economy through the payment of workers and pensioners has the propensity to dangerously harm the economy and have far reaching consequences that could bring development in all facets to a halt.

The APGA governorship candidate presented his manifesto to the senior citizens, and made it clear that the manifesto which he personally prepared is his contract with Abia people which he has signed and urged them to step out on the 2nd of March, 2019 to sign theirs by voting APGA all the way, and assured that no man would dare tamper with their votes.

He also urged them to remind their families and loved ones on the need to vote for APGA in all the elections in Abia state, starting from 16th February when the National Assembly Election shall take place.
The copies of the manifesto were later shared to all the pensioners present.

Responding to Dr. Otti on behalf of other pensioners, the state chairman and his secretary, painted horrible and heart wrenching pictures of what the pensioners are passing through, including untimely death of many members due to lack of finances to take care of themselves and their families.

They disclosed that most of them are owed as much as 22 months pension arrears, not to talk of unpaid leave allowances and other emoluments, and regretted that from all indications, the Okezie Ikpeazu led government is not willing to pay anyone.

They restated their willingness to bring out their children and family members to massively vote for Dr. Alex Otti and APGA again, and urged him to ensure that no body tampers with their votes.

They regretted that the Ikpeazu led government is speedily destroying the Abia Civil Service through some petty actions like the creation of dichotomy, saying that as senior citizens who worked for the state, they do not deserve to be treated with such wickedness.

Prayers were later said for the pensioners and for Dr. Alex Otti and his team.

FERDINAND EKEOMA IS THE MEDIA AIDE TO DR. ALEX OTTI OFR