From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abia chapter, has tackled Governor Alex Otti for repealing the governors and deputies pension law.
According to the party, Otti has resorted to populism to draw undeserved attention to himself.
In a statement by the Vice Chairman/acting State Publicity Secretary (PDP), Abraham Amah, said it was wrong for Governor Otti to have said that he repealed a law he never obeyed since he assumed office as Governor.
“Since the news made its debut, all the former governors, through their spokespersons, have come out to disclaim having received any pension from the state governor since he assumed office. So, it beats our understanding why a governor, who has not paid pension to his predecessors, would quickly rush to repeal the law, if not to massage his little ego and portray himself as a patron Saint when he is not.”
The release said Abia PDP had reasons to believe that Otti was using his office to pursue personal vendetta against the former governors, as shown in this singular act, which the party said has not added any value to the Abia treasury.
“Let us assume that the said pension law and some of its letters are outrageous as it is being portrayed in the public to buy cheap popularity, there is no evidence that the money saved from the non-payment of pension to former governors has been used to offset the pension arrears of Abia pensioners, because many civil servants are still being owed.
“So, what is the whole hullabaloo about the repeal of the pension law if not to shore up a popularity which many Abians have come to see as empty and an enterprise on the pages of newspapers and social media.”
The party regretted that it has become a penchant for the governor to go “into overdrive in his quest for vendetta and this has been displayed in reckless ways that do not even add any political value to his person.”
PDP contended that by outright repeal of the law, does Otti mean to tell Abians that a person who served the state for either four or eight years in such high capacity and highly demanding position as governor and deputy governor does not deserve a pension, no matter how little, to take care of oneself in old age.