Governor Otti’s Surprise ABSU Visit: Genuine Concern or Political Showmanship? #NwokeukwuMascot

 Opinion 

Gov Otti’s Surprise Visit to ABSU: A Wake-Up Call or Another Publicity Stunt? By Obinna Oriaku | #NwokeukwuMascot

Governor Alex Otti recently paid an unannounced visit to Abia State University (ABSU). For the first time, he witnessed firsthand the dire state of infrastructural decay within the institution. While this visit is commendable, one cannot help but ask: why did it take him two years in office to step foot in the state’s premier tertiary institution?



The  infrastructural decay in Abia state University (ABSU) is not far from the situation in most State and Federal universities in Nigeria.  Funding of Universities is one of those demands of ASSU over the years .



While not making excuses for the current sistuation of the University, the centralized financial management of the schools introduced by this administration have stripped the last breath of University (financial) autonomy from these institutions including ABSUTH. This policy could be part of the reasons why most of these institutions are in deplorable state. 



A situation where the Rector, Vice Chancellor and Heads of institution are expected to line up at Umuehim daily with their files like SA,s  following up on approval or  funds for payment of diesel or other daily needs of these institutions will not augur well for these institutions even after this intervention. There are better ways to manage the financial recklessness of these institutions instead of this kindergarten approach adopted.  If we may ask ,outside provision of funds for the accreditation of courses in some of these institutions, what value of investment have we seen after two years with over 170b claimed under Education sector  between 2023 till date.



For eight years, Govenor Otti campaigned on the promise of improving ABSU’s infrastructure and the welfare of its lecturers. Yet, in two years of governance, his administration has spent more time engaging with foreign universities than addressing the crumbling state of education at home. The Governor has visited at least four different universities in the United States and the United Kingdom, even taking part in an endorsement ceremony abroad, while ABSU and other Institutions remains in disrepair.



The Governor had previously set up a visitation panel to assess ABSU’s challenges, but if it took an unplanned visit for him to grasp the depth of the crisis, then what was the point of the panel in the first place? It is troubling that only now, months after directing ABSU to relocate back to Uturu, he is discovering that the Law and Agriculture departments still lack proper accommodation.



If the state government was serious about revitalizing education, how did it arrive at a 20% budgetary allocation without accounting for the immediate infrastructural needs of ABSU and other tertiary institutions? With an education budget of N122billion for 2025 and N54 billion reportedly written off as seen in 2024 Financial report of Abia State , there was more than enough financial capacity to transform ABSU and restore its lost glory. Instead, it appears that the much-publicized “20% for education” "15% for Health" was nothing more than political rhetoric meant to pacify the public while the education sector including the Health continues to decline. Till date our secondary health facilities are still at "audio stage" .



The Governor’s visit to ABSU raises another pressing question: When will he extend the same concern to Abia Polytechnic or the College of Education in his Arochukwu? The crisis in Abia’s education sector is not limited to ABSU; other institutions are also struggling with poor funding, outdated infrastructure, neglect and these are manifest in State schools as old as ABSU and other Federal institutions. 



If Otti’s visit is truly the beginning of a genuine commitment to educational reform, then it must not end with ABSU. He must take urgent steps to rescue the entire sector, ensuring that the promises he made during his campaign do not remain empty words.



Otherwise, this visit will be remembered not as a moment of action, but as yet another carefully staged publicity stunt.


©️Ekwedike



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