By Ugochukwu Alaribe

Governorship candidate of Labour Party LP,in Abia State for the March 11 poll, Dr. Alex Otti, has warned that Abia will become a failed state if the electorate make a mistake in their choice of governor in the poll.

Addressing a gathering of Abia professionals in Umuahia, Otti alleged that most of the 18 candidates vying for the governorship position in the state would only be interested in sharing the resources of the state if elected and urged the electorate to vote him.

He said: “Some people are parading themselves as governorship candidates and at the back of their minds is how to share the people’s money. You have people who have no second address but they want to be governor in order to get access to the resources of the state and share it among their cronies.”

The former Managing Director of the defunct Diamond Bank stated that the economy of the state is in dire straits ,stressing that the state needs a credible and competent leader who could navigate her out of her economic quagmire.

“This year is going to be very difficult. When this government goes, whoever succeeds it will find it extremely difficult because the state is badly broken”, Otti stated.

“The debt profile of Abia increased from N45 billion, from the administration of T.A.Orji to N150 billion in the present administration. So, that is what Abia is going to pay. So, you can see it is looking dangerous out there. So,the incoming Governor has to be people who know what to do.

“Unemployment rate in Abia is 51 per cent, the highest in the country. Abia is ranked 32nd in the area of ease of doing business which means that an investor has to consider 31 other states before thinking of coming to Abia. So, if you make a mistake, you will be a failed state. This is why people like us have stamped our feet to say, enough is enough.”

Otti disclosed that he was contesting for the  governorship position to put the state on the path of sustainable growth and development, using his wealth of experience and vowed not to embezzle or misappropriate the state’s resources.