By Desire Uzochukwu
Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has said his administration is not at war with his predecessors, stressing that his government will continue to treat governance as a continuum while addressing defects in inherited projects.
Otti stated this through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, in response to allegations that the administration had abandoned the Okezuo Abia Flyover at Osisioma Ngwa, along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.
A portion of the flyover, constructed by the administration of former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, had developed a pothole, prompting motorists to avoid one of the lanes.
The state government said it had taken note of the situation and was putting measures in place to undertake what it described as a lasting intervention.
Ekeoma said the administration had ignored claims that it was deliberately allowing the flyover to deteriorate in order to discredit the former governor who constructed it.
He said the narrative that Governor Otti was engaged in a political battle with his predecessors was being promoted by people pursuing political and economic interests.
“The assumption that there is a war between this government and its predecessors, including the immediate past government, is a facade created by some idle persons who use their poor narratives of such an imaginary war to advance their political and economic interests,” he said.
According to him, the government had identified “serious integrity issues” surrounding the flyover and was taking steps to address them.
“The government is not interested in any narrative aimed at painting any individual or government black; however, the government will not hesitate to ask serious questions and take necessary actions to correct whatever was wrongly done, if need be,” Ekeoma said.
He said the government was particularly concerned because the flyover had consumed significant public resources and had subjected residents to years of construction-related inconvenience.
Ekeoma also cited the Otti administration’s approach to inherited projects as evidence that it was not interested in erasing the legacies of previous governments.
He recalled that shortly after Otti assumed office, a commissioner, while discussing measures to sanitise the environment around the flyover, referred to it as the “Osisioma Flyover.”
According to him, the governor immediately corrected the reference and insisted that it be called by its original name, “Okezuo Abia Flyover.”
“The Governor further responded and said, ‘Yes, that is the name. We are not interested in erasing anyone’s legacy, so we cannot call it by a name different from what the man that built it named it,’” he quoted Otti as saying.
Ekeoma said the state government had also taken technical steps to examine the condition of the flyover.
He disclosed that in 2024, he accompanied the Commissioner for Works, whom he described as a former Federal Controller and Executive Director of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, to inspect the structure after signs of failure were observed.
The inspection, he said, was conducted alongside engineers from the Works Ministry.
According to Ekeoma, the commissioner subsequently reported that although some errors were identified, they did not pose an immediate serious threat to the structure.
He added that remedial work was carried out days later, with the ministry undertaking to continue monitoring the flyover.
Ekeoma said the government did not publicly attack the administration that constructed the project despite criticism from some quarters.
He added that the present concerns had prompted the state government to again review the condition of the flyover and work towards a lasting solution.
The media aide said the Otti administration had demonstrated its belief that government was a continuum by completing abandoned projects and rebuilding or remodelling projects it considered poorly executed.
He said the administration would continue to address inherited infrastructure based on technical assessments and the need to protect public investments, rather than political considerations.
