Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has asserted that the performance of his administration stands as the strongest answer to detractors he labelled the “shameless opposition.”
He made this declaration during the ‘Promise Kept Carnival’ held in Aba to celebrate the completion of the long-neglected Port Harcourt Road.
Speaking to a jubilant crowd at Umuagbai Secondary School, Otti explained that while opposition figures persistently criticise his government, he prefers to let tangible results tell the story.
The governor drew a sharp comparison between his administration’s achievements and the previous government’s failed attempts to reconstruct the same road, sharing revealing financial details to support his argument.
He said, “In 2017, this Port Harcourt Road contract was awarded for N9.8 billion and the entire amount was paid. Yet the road was not completed. In 2025, the cost was N36.5 billion. There was much noise, but when you factor in exchange rates, N9.8 billion in 2017 equated to $29 million, while N36.5 billion in 2025 is about $22.8 million. So, which is truly higher?”
Otti underlined the irony of spending more in 2017 without any results, compared to delivering a quality road in 2025 with a lower dollar amount.
He added, “The real point is that in 2017, $29 million was spent and no road was built. In 2025, $22 million was spent and a good-quality road has been completed and handed over.”
Taking advantage of the occasion, the governor announced fresh initiatives to modernise public transportation across the state. He revealed that Abia has procured 20 electric buses due to be deployed within two months. These buses will run from newly constructed terminals in Aba and Umuahia.
“These buses will be impressive. They will not rely on petrol or diesel. They will be electric — just like the ones you see abroad,” he assured the audience.
Otti also praised a commercial tricycle operator who returned N2.4 million left behind by a passenger, rewarding the driver with N1.4 million in recognition of his honesty.
The event included goodwill messages from notable figures such as Senator Darlington Nwokocha, Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly Emmanuel Emeruwa, and representatives from Aba’s business community.
They described the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Road as a milestone achievement and expressed confidence in Governor Otti’s leadership.
Chief Onyeka Ernest Udeajah, convener of the carnival, characterised the event as a celebration of “a new day and a new season” for Abia, while the State Chairman of the Cooperative Motor Union, Mr Chukwuma Azodo, praised the project as “legendary.”