By Gbenga Oke

Former Managing Director, MD, of Diamond Bank and governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, has said he is on a rescue mission, saying the state requires a governor with vision, experience, character and track record to direct its affairs in the next dispensation.

Otti spoke in Lagos yesterday, during the launch of his book entitled Saving the Future: Agenda for Economic Development and Prosperity, and fund-raising for his campaign.

According to him, Abia remained one of the worst states in terms of development and that the state needed to be rescued from the clueless leaders that had ruled it for the past 16 years.

He said: “I can tell you that we are fighting a big battle in Abia State today. But I can assure you that it is an interesting field. We cannot continue to sit and complain that our state is not developed when we have left politics in the hands of unintelligent personalities.

“Some of the things I have seen in Abia State today are very discouraging and it is very unfortunate that we remain one of the worst states in Nigeria in terms of development.

“I have enumerated several developmental strides I intend to put in place, if elected, so that our dear state can make headway.

“To stop my ambition, they have been claiming that I was sacked at Diamond Bank. I can say boldly that my three and half years in Diamond as the MD was the brightest years of the bank and my colleagues here can attest to that fact.

“I believe strongly that Abians are not insane and they can see how we are doing things differently and what we will do when we get into government.

“Today, the poverty level in Abia State is about 80 percent while we have the highest level of infant and maternal mortality in the whole country.”