ABA, ABIA STATE – Eze Chikamnayo, the former Commissioner for Information in Abia State, has criticized Governor Alex Otti’s decision to appoint an Anambra State-born billionaire, Ide Udeagbala, as the Mayor of Aba City, warning that giving priority to non-indigenes at the expense of natives could lead to unrest in the state.
Governor Otti announced Udeagbala’s appointment as Mayor of Aba City, emphasizing that the era of indigenes and non-indigenes sentiment is over in the state, and only merit would determine appointments.
In response to the appointment, Chikamnayo issued a statement on Monday, expressing concerns that Otti’s actions could ignite conflict in the state. He urged President Bola Tinubu and security agencies to intervene and caution the governor to prevent a crisis over his statements.
Chikamnayo emphasized that Aba City belongs to two closely-knit communities known as “Aba Na Ohazu” and that it is not a “no man’s land.”
He criticized Otti’s statement that Aba is a “no man’s land,” accusing the governor of trying to stoke divisions and insult the Ngwa Nation. Chikamnayo urged Otti not to reduce prominent individuals like Ide Udeagbala to cannon fodder and called on the governor to avoid polarizing the polity.
Chikamnayo questioned whether Otti would go to other cities like Umuahia, Owerri, Onitsha, Port Harcourt, or Warri and make similar inflammatory statements. He warned against further insults to the Ngwa Nation and the peaceful city of Aba.
Ide Udeagbala, a graduate of Harvard University and a consummate industrialist, hails from Ozubulu in Anambra State. His appointment as Mayor of Aba City has stirred controversy in the state.