The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), the apex sociopolitical youth group in the South East, has condemned the ongoing feud between the media teams of former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu and Governor Alex Otti over the Ohafia-Arochukwu Road.

The group described it as regrettable, stating it is not beneficial for Abia or Ndigbo.

In a statement issued in Owerri on Thursday, jointly endorsed by COSEYL President General, Comrade Good Luck Ibem and Publicity Secretary, Okey Nwaoru, they said that both camps’ releases indicate that regional issues are more pressing.

They criticized Governor Otti’s release from August 28, 2024, during the road reconstruction flag-off, which mentioned Premier Michael Ọkpara without acknowledging other contributors.

According to them, that statement is exclusionary and suggests the Governor is only concerned with self-gratification.

The statement reads, “it should be recalled, was the premier before the Nigerian civil war. So it is exclusionary to state, as contained in Governor Otti’s statement, that the road was built by Michael Ọkpara without mentioning others, including during military rule, who contributed to building the road, even though they did not complete the project begun under them.

“Before Senator Orji Uzor Kalu became governor of Abia State, Professor Chimere Ikeokwu, a board member of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), and Mazi Ọchị Achinivu, a Senior Director, who are prominent Aro sons, used their good offices to attract the funds for the construction of the project.”

“Construction began under Gen. Sani Abacha but was later abandoned after the head of state then died in 1998.

“As an elected governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu resurfaced the road in 2002/2003 and later facilitated the rehabilitation of the road as a senator in 2017/2018 when he attracted the federal government to the road.

“Senator Orji Uzor Kalu did not relent; he kept pressuring the Buhari-led federal government to intervene in the road. So, saying or trying to exclude Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and others like Dr. Ikeokwu and Mazi Achinuvu from the success story of the Ohafia-Arochukwu Road is a disservice to our history,” it said.

COSEYL is aware that Governor Otti awarded the contract for the reconstruction of the Ohafia-Arochukwu Road to IAC Allied Technical and Construction Company Limited, a subsidiary of Rock Result Group, owned by Chief Ifeanyi Clement Okorie.

This is the same company that worked on Cemetery Road and is currently working on Ọmụma Road in Aba, which residents have criticized for its slow progress and lack of quality.

The group deemed it necessary to state that IAC has no worthy track record or antecedent that should merit it as a yardstick for selecting bidders.

They asked how a company that has not performed satisfactorily on Ọmụma Road was selected for a crucial road like the Ohafia-Arochukwu Road.

COSEYL said that even Governor Otti himself lamented and bemoaned the work done by Rock Result Construction Company during an inspection.

The youth body, while not wanting to see the two political gladiators engage in media banter or arguments over who did what, wants to keep the record straight by stating unequivocally and fearlessly that as governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu resurfaced and rehabilitated several federal roads using internationally reputable construction companies.

According to them, no administration should relegate others to enjoy all the praise alone, except where there is an evidence supporting claim of misappropriation and embezzlement.

As a youth-led coalition, they are watching all South East leaders of today and are keeping performance-based scorecards for all of them. Should posterity demand, they will judge all of them accordingly when the time is right. They also wish to remind Governor Otti that the state is still far from reaching its goals.

They simultaneously called on the current government to avoid the mistakes of the past and ensure that, in line with fiscal prudence and discipline, all contract biddings are made open, listed, and published on the state’s official website for easy access.

They also called for due diligence on all preselected companies, especially those executing road and other infrastructure projects, in line with procurement laws. They urged all elected federal lawmakers to prioritize the South East and Abia, as Senator Kalu is currently doing by attracting life-transforming projects to the state.

They said, “It is on record that the former Senate President, His Excellency Senator Ahmed Lawan, described Senator Kalu as the best Senate Chief Whip ever in the history of the Nigerian Senate because of his transformational and unmatched performance, which to this day remains the best.”

Senator Kalu used reputable construction giants like Zerock Construction Company, Setraco Construction Company, and others for the construction of roads and other infrastructure in Abia when he was governor.

They observed that one of the roads constructed by Zerock Construction Company, Okpulo Umuobo Road, is still standing very strong and has lasted for over 20 years and counting.

For emphasis, they noted that the distance from Ebem Ohafia to Arochukwu is 28 kilometers, approximately 18 miles. They questioned why the current government claims the road covers a stretch of 41.4 kilometers.

They requested to see the letter of award and other documents detailing this claim because some parts of the road had already been completed by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Uko Nkole, the former representative of Ohafia/Arochukwu federal constituency at the National Assembly, leaving only 14.5 kilometers remaining.

The group wished to remind political elders that they want to see development brought home to the region, as that is the only thing that can accelerate growth and development.

There is no need to foster or sustain rancor, quarrel, and bickering when people are facing imminent threats in other parts of the country where they live and contribute meaningfully.

They added, “Let all parties sheathe their swords and desist from propaganda.” (Nigerian Tribune)

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