The governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP) in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, says his government will reverse the discriminatory policy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the state, which led to the sack of close to 3,000 non-indigenes in the state’s civil service.

The PDP government in Abia, led by then Governor Theodore Ahamefule Orji, on August 25, 2011, issued a circular, directing the disengagement of non-indigenes on its employment and asking them to return to their states.

Otti, who was guest of the Club 25 of Nigeria International, Aba, commercial nerve of Abia State and residents of World Bank Estate at Umuocham, also in Aba, on Tuesday, said that singular act of the PDP government led to the untimely deaths of many of those workers.

“My administration will accommodate everyone living in Abia. That means whether you’re from Abia or outside of Abia State, as long as you’re qualified, you will be considered.

“I will reverse that policy that discriminates against the employment of non-indigenes. I know that some of the people who were forcefully dismissed from the civil service of Abia then may have been due for retirement, when I get there, I will reverse that dismissal and turn it to proper retirement and they will be paid what is due to them.

“I will be addressing that policy and every other government’s policy that discriminates against non-indigenes in the state. We will ensure that justice is done to all those our people, whether from Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi or even from other neighbouring states, who had been in our civil service but were sacked on account or excuse that they were non indigenes,” Otti said to the approval of his audience, who responded with songs and chants of praises.

The LP candidate, most favoured to win the Abia governorship election in 2023, told his audience in the two different locations, where he held town hall meetings, that his promise was not just to excite them but a well-thought-out plan to stimulate the economy of Abia State by putting money in people’s hands.

He said: “Any government whose focus is not about creating jobs and empowering the people has not started. It is said that you don’t give a greedy person the reign of leadership. If you do, such a leader will appropriate your commonwealth for  himself, his family and cronies. That’s exactly what the people of Abia and its residents have been going through in the last 23 years of PDP government.

“The N3.5 trillion economy of Abia State can easily become a six to seven trillion Naira economy by simply stimulating the economy through production, employment and regular payment of workers salaries and retirees pensions.

“By the time monies are put in people’s hands, the natural thing they will do is to buy things and when they spend in purchases, production increases and more people are employed to sustain the production of goods and services. It’s not rocket science. We will do it.

“Our kind of empowerment programme will not be the type that our politicians and  government of the day do, by giving people keke or motorcycles. We will give you money to trade and you will make profits. We will train people to acquire skills and equip them to stand on their own and employ some other people in their businesses.

A statement released by Otti”s Media aide, Mr Kazie Uko, said Otti  reiterated his plan to create a ministry for Aba, that will be solely responsible for all the issues that have to do with the revamping of the commercial capital of Abia State and making it viable and a destination of trade and leisure.

Highlights of the meetings were the presentation of membership certificate to Otti by the Club 25 of Nigeria and a symbolic gift of machete and sash by traditional rulers and elders of Umuocham community within the World Bank Estate, Osisioma, Abia State.