Governor Alex Otti in a group photograph with some Catholic priest during the mass.
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has vowed to complete the recovery of Aba, the commercial hub of the state, with the planned flag-off of the reconstruction of Uratta Road and Old Express Road, which link the city to neighbouring states.
The governor spoke on Sunday during a special Mass at Christ the King Catholic Church, organised by the Catholic Diocese of Aba to celebrate and honour him.
Otti thanked the Church and its various organs for the rare endorsement and pledged to continue working for the people of Abia State in the final year of his first term in office.
He said, “Even if you pay the Catholic Church a billion dollars, they will not do the wrong thing. This is your government, and we will never disappoint you.
“You ain’t seen nothing yet. We have just dealt with hygiene issues, cleaning up the environment, roads, water and so on. We are now focusing more on healthcare, education, technology, industrialisation and other sectors.
“We will soon embark on the complete recovery of Aba by flagging off the reconstruction of Uratta Road and Old Express Road. Any project we can’t find the money for, we don’t start. We have found the money. It is in the bank, and the flag-off will happen soon,” Otti stated.
The governor also promised support for the ongoing Catholic Men Organisation secretariat project and other projects being undertaken by the Catholic Women Organisation and the Catholic Youth Organisation, representing the men, women and youths of the Church.
Earlier in his sermon, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Aba, Most Rev. Prof. Augustine Ndubueze Echema, said leadership and power must be centred on the people.
Drawing from Matthew 9:36, he noted that Jesus Christ was moved with compassion for the crowd because their leaders had failed them.
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Likening Otti to a leader with compassion for the people of Abia, the bishop declared that the governor would not need to campaign for a second term in office.
“We have a man of integrity, and nobody needs to campaign for Governor Otti. His works will campaign for him.
“You are worth supporting. This is the first time the Catholic Diocese of Aba is honouring a governor,” Echema said.
He thanked Otti for wiping away the tears of Abians and for demonstrating that government is truly about service to the people.
The bishop also urged Catholic faithful to take advantage of the ongoing voter registration exercise and obtain their Permanent Voter Cards to enable them to participate in future elections.
The three major organs of the Church — the Catholic Men Organisation, Catholic Women Organisation and Catholic Youth Organisation — in their separate remarks, commended the governor for what they described as people-centred leadership.
They described him as a “silent achiever” who has positively impacted the lives of ordinary Abians, especially residents of Aba, recalling years of hardship caused by poor road infrastructure before his emergence as governor.
Each of the organisations presented special gifts to the governor.
The Mass was attended by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba; Chief Reagan Ufomba and his wife; members of the Abia State House of Assembly; mayors; the Commissioner for Culture, Arts and Creative Economy, Hon. Matthew Ekwuribe; and other top government officials.
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