Gov. Otti Admonishes Parents On The Need To Care For Their Children

Dr. Alex Otti, the Governor of Abia State, has advised parents to care for their children, stating that nothing else is more important than this parental obligation.

Governor Otti’s admonition came as the world prepared to celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday, June 16, when he was presented with three handsome sons of the same parents who had been kidnapped but rescued from their captors.

In a statement issued by Kazie Uko, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
Gideon, 8, Divine, 6, and Israel, 4, were kidnapped on May 10, 2024, while returning home from school in Abia state.

On Saturday, Governor Otti welcomed the children, along with their parents and other community leaders, to his home in Umuehim, Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area. He thanked God and everyone who worked hard to ensure their release.

He expressed joy that the children had finally been reunited with their parents and used the opportunity to caution parents to be more concerned about their children’s safety and security.

“I would also like to remind parents to be more cautious because this was preventable. First and foremost, you should not leave your children with strangers, whether they are Keke or Okada riders. Nothing you are doing is more important than caring for your children. That is my message to all parents, grandparents, and anyone else involved with one or more Abia children.

“We must take their security, comfort, and safety seriously. “A lot of lessons have been learned from this, and I believe we should not let this happen again,” the Governor pleaded.

He also urged security personnel who participated in the rescue operations to follow through and ensure that everyone involved in the abduction is prosecuted and brought to justice to serve as a deterrent to others.

The governor promised that the government would help the rescued children in whatever way it saw fit, and he suggested that communities return to the positive culture of seeing all children as their own.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to securing the state and developing the economy, emphasising that this cannot be accomplished without security.

“One of the promises we made to our people was to secure the state because we intend to develop it and expand our economy.

“So, when you see me working very hard, visiting security agencies and their heads, it is because I want to sit down and map out a security architecture that works for all of us,” the Governor explained.

He reiterated his earlier statement that Abia is not safe for criminals because the government has implemented a robust security architecture to protect lives and property, and that the government is creating an economy in which everyone with legitimate business can participate.

“I had told criminals, and I had given them notice that this place could not hold them and us; one must flee. Fortunately, I am not the one who would run, because I have both the mandate of the people and the mandate of God. So it is the evil ones who will flee, and they have already begun to do so,” the Governor said.

The Mayor of Ikwuano, Comrade Osinachi Nwaka, described how the children were rescued in three stages, noting that he personally led the first operation in Ekwulobia, Anambra State.

Mayor Nwaka described the rescue as a remarkable triumph, praising Governor Otti’s unwavering commitment to restoring safety and security in Abia. He also thanked the various security agencies, including State Homeland Security, for their efforts and collaboration.

Commander MacDonald Uba (Rtd.), the Governor’s Special Adviser on Security Matters, praised the Governor’s optimism for motivating the Mayor and others who participated in the operation, describing the Governor as a father and a good shepherd.

Earlier, while presenting the children, their parents, and community leaders to the Governor, Honourable Boniface Isienyi, member of the Ikwuano State Constituency, stated that the rescue operation was not an easy task and that it required God’s grace to be possible.

He stated that he will propose a bill in the coming days that would require anyone who wants to run a motherless babies home to register with the State Ministry of Women Affairs in order to legitimise their operations.