Abia Government House Saga: Lies, Fetish Beliefs, and the Otti Administration’s Shameful Retreat~By Obinna Oriaku
- Our NationNigeria
- May 19
- 3 min read
ONN Abia State 19.05.2025
In the past three weeks, the Abia State Government under Governor Alex Otti has found itself trapped in a whirlwind of public scrutiny following a pointed interview by Rufai Oseni on Arise TV. At the heart of this controversy is the seat of power itself the Government House in Umuahia and the various contradictory narratives that the administration has deployed in a bid to obscure the real story.
It all began with a curious claim: that Governor Otti had not moved into the Umuahia Government House because the structure was “unfit for purpose.” This claim quickly lost credibility after a joint media inspection disproved the assertion. Not deterred, the administration pivoted to another excuse alleging that the building’s proximity to private residences made it unsuitable. When that, too, failed to hold water, the administration stooped to the bizarre, with the Chief Press Secretary declaring that tortoises and birds had been buried around the premises a fetish explanation that plunged the conversation into absurdity.
But what truly lies beneath these shifting justifications? Sources have alleged that spiritual advisers and marabouts warned Governor Otti to completely avoid the Government House a decision rooted in superstition, not governance.
If this were happening elsewhere, it would be laughable. Imagine if Governor Otti had been appointed Governor of the Central Bank and learned that his predecessor had buried charms within the premises. Would he then demolish the entire CBN complex to build afresh? Is this the new standard for leadership superstition over statecraft?
Shockingly, the state’s 2024 financial report reveals that ₦32 billion was spent under the subheading “Government House.” But which Government House, exactly? Umuahia or the Governor’s private residence in Umuehim?
Since assuming office in 2023, at least two new structures including a guest house have been spotted within the Governor’s compound. If these were built using public funds, how does the state take possession of them? How are we expected to transfer such properties to the state capital, Umuahia? Are we now legitimizing illegality? What of the generators, furniture, and other installations, do they also become private property?
Just last week, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Okey Kanu, in another attempt to defend the administration, regurgitated already-debunked claims about rent on Government house Umuahia. His narrative was roundly dismissed by Mr. Ako Obioma a respected Abian who welcomed the first military administrator of the state and remains a custodian of firsthand knowledge of the Government House from its inception.The present Government house used to be property of old Eastern Nigeria.
This government has gone far to discredit and demarket Abia State, all to justify its lies about the Government House. It’s a dangerous game one that sacrifices integrity and transparency for a convenient narrative.
From 2015 to 2019, there was no record of rent payments for the Government House in Umuahia. As a former Commissioner for Finance, I personally consulted with my predecessors, successors, and civil servants all of whom confirmed that no such expenditure ever existed.
I encourage the current Commissioners for Finance , Housing and the entire Governor Alex Otti administration: produce the vouchers for any such rent payments. You have unfettered access to government records dating back to 1999. If these vouchers exist, present them and let the recipients be treated as thieves. If you cannot, then stop destroying the image of the state with falsehoods and cover-ups.
The negative outcome of the Government house story has made the Governor to start the gradual demolition in old government house, we know it's a ploy to divert attention while he continues to operate from his village . We are not deceived but happy that Abians and indeed Nigerians now know the reason why the Governor operates from Umuehim ,not that Abia state does not have any structure deserving of a Government house ( both old and new)
It is regrettable that gains of the institutional reforms by the APC led federal government is lost on duplication of Government houses both at Abuja and Umuahia instead of channeling the gains for economic growth and job creation in Abia state
Governance must never bow to superstition. We cannot keep reinforcing failure with deceit.
Obinna Oriaku
Ekwedike.
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