RE: ‘RAAMP IN RUINS’, A CRY FROM THE EDGE OF DEVELOPMENTAL OBLIVION.

RE: ‘RAAMP IN RUINS’, A CRY FROM THE EDGE OF DEVELOPMENTAL OBLIVION.

The attention of Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has been drawn to a veiled blackmail by one Abraham Amah, a former Acting Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Abia State, where he mischievously attempted to mislead the public about the activities of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), in the State.

It’s not only ridiculous but a shameless display of incurable madness that the former spokesman of a party and gangs that superintended over the ruin of Abia State, is now masquerading as a voice of the people and self-appointed “defender of imaginary legacy and light”. What a dumb way to display bitterness, desperation, envy and frustration!

How come that for the eight years that Abraham Amah and his friends decided the fate of Abia State, he was bereft of his ‘Ahitophelic counsel’ he is now mischievously claiming to offer under the guise of “Open Letter to His Excellency?” This is nothing short of hypocrisy and shameless display of infancy by a frustrated political attention-seeker.

Resorting to the social media to spew out falsehood borne out of malice is not how to play opposition. Peddling false narrative about the goings-on in an ongoing programme of Government will not cover the rot and ruins that were the order of the day when Abraham Amah and the administration he is defending held sway.

We understand the pains of Amah and his fellow new converts and self-styled apostles of good governance in theory. In barely two years, the Otti-led visionary leadership and purposeful administration, has dwarfed the imaginary ‘superfabulous achievements’ of their billboard era. They are embittered that a man who is not after the resources but the transformation of Abia State has come to expose their ineptitude through identifiable projects delivery

Contrary to the concocted misinformation, lies and blackmail by Abraham Amah and his sponsors, the RAAMP scheme has recorded more successes under the Otti-led administration. His Excellency’s penchant for due process, transparency and accountability, has rather contributed to the success stories of RAAMP in Abia State today as the scheme has been redesigned to deliver not just roads but quality roads that can stand the test of time.

In case Abraham Amah and his co- harbingers of falsehood do not know or pretend not to know, Abia State Government under the visionary leadership of Governor Otti, has in 24 months, paid a total of N4.1 billion as counterpart funding for the RAAMP projects.This only underscores the Governor’s unwavering commitment to the  statewide infrastructural development of rural communities. Governor Otti has changed the rural landscape through the massive construction and reconstruction of rural access roads and insisted that any RAAMP road project in Abia State must meet a set standard in the State unlike the ‘E dey work, E dey spoil’ standard under Amah’s party. We challenge Amah and his sponsors to publish the total contribution of the State to the RAAMP scheme during their calamitous era. We equally demand the list and cost of roads and other projects executed under RAAMP during their administration.

May we further inform Amah and his fellow ‘later-day advocates of good governance’,  that under Governor Otti, one pilot road project, the 19.1km Itungwa – Mgboko – Amaise – Amairi – Omoba – Abiaba – Nkwo – Elechi road under the RAAMP scheme was flagged-off and currently ongoing and another 11 rural roads and three agro – markets cutting across the three senatorial zones, and 17 Local Government   Areas of Abia State, will soon  be flagged-off by Governor Alex Otti. These projects are all courtesy of RAAMP, and made possible by the Governor’s faithfulness in paying the State’s counterpart funding.

Contrary to blatant lies by Amah, RAAMP under Otti-led administration, is not “a prisoner of control, nor a shadow of what it was designed to be”. Rather, it has become a vehicle for rural infrastructural revolution. Identifiable and not audio projects are being, and will continue to be delivered with the RAAMP scheme in our rural communities because a leader who is not after looting public funds but massive transformation is on board.

Similarly, contrary to the false alarm and acrimonious wish-list and prediction by Amah, the World Bank is not pulling out from Abia State. Rather, it is eager to invest more in the development of the State, more so, now that a man with pedigree, global integrity and track record of accountability is in charge. Not just the World Bank, other development partners have already indicated keen interest to invest in the State including the biggest single investment of USD1.3 Billion secured by Governor Otti for the Medical Village in Abia. The influx of investors to the State, is only a testament of the global goodwill that His Excellency, Gov. Alex Otti commands. In the past, especially the era superintended over by Amah and his partners in under developing the State, such opportunity eluded the State.

Amah and his sponsors should by now get it into their heads that Gov. Otti, does not have the luxury of time to be distracted. The Governor is so preoccupied with efforts to rebuild the State from the ruins and destruction supervised by past political locusts, that he cannot be distracted by petty blackmailers like Amah who was part and parcel of the political misfortune that engulfed Abia State in the past. The errand boys of the rejected past should hold their peace and stop advertising their hypocrisy and frustration by claiming to be sudden voices for the same people they oppressed and impoverished. Amah is desperately seeking attention and relevance after badly loosing Election even in his polling unit in 2023.

In case he does not yet understand, Abians know those who looted, plundered and ruined their State. They still recognise those who said nothing but maintained criminal silence and played the ‘good boy’ while impunity and squandamania reigned. For sure, Abians know and can recognise Politically Displaced Persons (PDP’s), who out of frustration and bitterness, have resorted to falsehood, lies and cheap blackmail in the name of opposition.

The petty lies and cheap blackmail of Amah are so impotent and cannot stand erect. Characters like Amah do not have the credibility to turn the minds of Abians against their God-sent Governor who has so far proven that Abia can truly work – a man who has demonstrated that good governance is not a political theory but a practical reality! Abraham Amah should look for a better script.

Ctz. UKOHA, NJOKU UKOHA,

Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor.