Otti’s resolve to proceed with his campaign flag-off was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the State Coordinator of the Alex Otti Campaign Council, Hon. Iheanacho Obioma, to clear the dust raised by the government’s hysteria. "The government’s false alarm and the negative publicity it is giving to our planned rally is a well-thought-out fraudulent strategy aimed at causing confusion amongst our supporters with the intention of scaring them away from the rally," Obioma said. The choice of Ngwa High School Aba as the rally's venue sparked hysteria in the government circle, leading to an uncoordinated response in which two commissioners issued statements with varying degrees of intensity.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Eze Chikamnayo, outright accused Otti of planning to unleash vandalism on a public school and vowed that government would not give him access to Ngwa High School or any other public facility.
However, the Commissioner for Post-Basic Education, Chijioke I. Mark, was more conciliatory in his approach. In a letter he addressed to the state chairman of LP, he "strongly advised (LP) to seek alternative venues to avoid disruption of academic activities in the school." But this claim has been faulted by Obioma, who argued that the school is presently on mid-term break, hence there was no way the rally would disrupt academic activities.
He also explained that Ngwa High School "does not belong to the Abia state government, but to a private religious institution, the Aba-Ngwa North Diocese of the Anglican Communion, which has since given us the necessary approvals after payment was made and received." The Coordinator of the Alex Otti Campaign Council accused "unproductive appointees of the Abia government" of stoking controversy with "some disjointed and disgusting press statements that are geared towards disrupting the LP rally billed for Thursday."
"The owners and management of the facility, who have better knowledge of the surrounding area and have demonstrated a moral obligation to protect the welfare and wellbeing of their students than the Abia State government, understood that our rally would pose no threat to the facilities or students," Hon. Obioma said.
According to him, the management of Ngwa High School gave approval for use of the facility based on the knowledge that even if the school were in session, the LP rally would not affect students "whose classrooms are far away from the venue." The former federal lawmaker stated that the Abia government was playing double standards as the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been using public schools for rallies, adding that the government was always easily agitated once Otti’s name was mentioned.
"Just a few days ago, the PDP held similar rallies at Osusu Amaukwa and Umuakatawom primary schools, respectively, in Obingwa while schools were in session. Does this not show hypocrisy and double talk by the same government? "Our party had applied to use the Aba Township Stadium (Enyimba Stadium), but the state government turned down our request on the grounds that the pitch is synthetic turf and thus will be destroyed if we hold our rally there." Obioma noted that the Abia LP governorship hopeful understood the value of education and has over the years sustained a well-organised scholarship scheme for Abians, adding that Otti would never engage in anything that could harm education, students, and infrastructure.
He said: "If the Ikpeazu-led government had any respect for our students and teachers, or attached a modicum of importance to the welfare of Abians, the governor would not have abandoned protesting workers and pensioners to go to Benue to dance like one who won a championship trophy." "We wish to advise Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to distance himself from his overzealous aides and allies who are encouraging him to resort to violence as a strategy to enthrone his anointed candidate. "Such advisers and allies do not mean well for the governor because they do not understand the implications and consequences of their action."
