New Abia governor Alex Otti freezes state's bank accounts

Governor Alex Otti of Abia has directed the immediate freezing of all the State Government accounts and those of agencies domiciled in banks and other financial institutions in the country.

Otti’s directive is contained in a statement issued in Umuahia on Tuesday by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma.

Ekeoma stated that with the notice, "All banks and other financial institutions in the country are directed to immediately cease from honouring any cheques, documents, instruments or directives of any kind not expressly approved by or emanating from him."

He also stated that the governor directed the immediate dissolution of all boards of the government agencies and parastatals and subsequently ordered the chief executives of those organisations to hand over to those next in line to them.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Otti, a former bank chief, assumed office on Monday, May 29, as the fifth democratically-elected governor of Abia on the platform of the Labour Party (LP).

Ekeoma further disclosed that the governor had approved the appointment of Prof. Kenneth Kalu as the Secretary to the State Government.

Other appointments include Dr Caleb Ajagba (Chief of Staff to the Governor), Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo (Special Adviser, HealthCare Delivery Services), Ekeoma (Special Adviser, Media and Publicity).

The rest are Kazie Ukoh (Chief Press Secretary to the Governor), Njum Onyemenam (Accountant General) and Ogbonnia Okereke (Head, Special Taskfore on Emergency Cleanup of Aba & Umuahia).

According to the statement, all the appointments take immediate effect.