Otti Says Abia Will No Longer Celebrate People Who Make Money Through Crime

(Governor Alex Otti. Photo Credit: X/Peter Obi Grassroots Commentary)

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State says his government is ending the habit of honouring people who got rich through crime.

He said Abia will no longer celebrate thieves, 419 fraudsters, drug barons or bandits.

He wants the state to recognise people for real achievements instead.

He spoke at the 90th birthday celebration of Emeritus Professor Benson Oluikpe in Umuahia.

He said it makes no sense to honour people only after they die, when they can no longer enjoy it.

He believes celebrating achievers while they are alive will encourage young people to aim high.

Otti pointed to five Abia school children who recently won an international competition in Qatar as an example of the kind of excellence the state wants to celebrate.

He also shared a story from 1989, when his father questioned him about where the N100 he had sent home came from.

He said he had earned it honestly through extra work, and that his father made him account for it.

He said parents today should ask their children similar questions.