Society Gists

Information reaching SG has it that the ambition of the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of Diamond bank, Dr. Alex Otti decision to resign from his plum job and run for the governorship in his native Abia state has created division among traditional rulers in Ngwa land area of the state.

SG further gathered that in a bid to realize his ambition, Otti has engaged leading politicians, traditional and religious leaders as well as close associates of Gov. Theodore Orji to get the latter support his ambition.

Sources close to the top banker told our correspondent that the only obstacle against Otti’s ambition to succeed Gov. Orji is the controversy over his ancestry which is divided between Arochukwu where his father comes from and Isiala  Ngwa South where he settled. According to sources, Otti’s father hails from Arochukwu while the younger Otti was born at Umuru, Umuehim village in Ehi Na Uguru Ancient Kingdom, Isiala Ngwa South LGA of Abia state.

Since the rumour of Otti’s governorship ambition broke out, it has met with stiff rejection by some prominent Ngwa sons including some ranking traditional rulers who insist that Otti hails from Arochukwu and not Umuru, Umuehim in Isiala Ngwa as he claims.

As the opposition to his ambition by some of the Ngwa personalities continued to mount, the traditional ruler of Isieketa Autonomous Community, Eze Nelson Nmerengwa was said to have contacted Otti and sold the idea of civic reception in his honour by the Oha Ngwa Traditional Rulers Council.

The civic reception which held last Friday at Our Lady’s Comprehensive Secondary School, Umueleghele, Isiala Ngwa South LGA saw the Diamond bank boss being conferred with a chieftaincy title of Ugwumba 1 of Ngwa land by ‘Ndi Eze Ala Ngwa’ which would qualify him as a son of Ukwa/Ngwa land who according to the Abia Charter of Equity, is expected to produce an Abia governor in 2015. To cap it all, Gov. Orji has at several fora vowed to hand over power to Ukwa/ Ngwa zone in 2015.

But those who packaged the civic reception in honor of Otti were shocked that the event was boycotted by the crème de la crème of the Ngwa ethnic nationality including the chairman of the Abia state council of traditional rulers, His Royal Majesty, Eze Eberechi Dick who was billed to deliver a speech at the occasion. Other prominent Ngwa sons who shunned the event include Chief Sunny Aku, Senator Enyi Abaribe, Elder Emma Adaelu, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, Hon. Uzo Azubuike, among others. Another prominent Ngwa son whose absence shocked the organizers was the leader of Ukwa Ngwa Professionals, Chief Theo Nkire who was to chair the ceremony. Nkire was said to have backed out at the last minute while Chief A.C.B later was later recruited to serve as the chairman.

A former councilor in Isiala Ngwa LGA who spoke to SG at the St. Peter Claver Catholic Church beside the venue insisted that “Otti hails from Arochukwu in Abia North senatorial district. His link with Umuru, Umuehim village, Isiala Ngwa LGA is that his father who was a pastor settled in the community in Isiala Ngwa South council area in Abia Central district. This is all politics. Alex Otti has his house in Arochukwu, he recently built another in Umuru, Umuehim. His father, Lazarus Otti settled in Umuru, Umuehim where he was given a land to build a house in the olden days. You know how the Aro people migrate, anywhere they are accepted becomes their home. Alex Otti is from Arochukwu and not a freeborn of Umuru Umuehim, not to talk of Ngwa land. So, they know what they are doing, there is no doubt about his Arochukwu origin. ”

The civic reception was graced by Gov. Theodore Orji; Abia Speaker, Chief Ude Oko Chukwu; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha; Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe; erstwhile Anambra state governor; Mr. Peter Obi and Gov. Chibuike Amaechi’s wife, Otti’s kinsman and former speaker of the Abia state House of Assembly, Chief Agwu U. Agwu, among others.

Those who sent in goodwill messages include PDP national Chairman, Adamu Muazu; Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; Enugu state governor, Barr. Sullivan Chime; his Anambra, Imo and Cross River counterpart; Willie Obiano, Rochas Okorocha and Liyel Imoke, respectively. Others were the Military Vice president under the Babangida administration, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe; MD/CEO First Bank, Bisi Onasanya; embattled chairman of the Imo state council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya as well as Dame Patience Faka Jonathan who was represented.