Gov. Otti faces activist’s rage over Obinna Oriaku banking career comments

Comrade Paul Ikechukwu Njoku, a human rights activist and author, on Saturday, June 7, 2025, publicly commended former Abia State Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Obinna Oriaku, for his forthright and factual response to a recent claim made by Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti.

The governor, during one of his monthly media chats with journalists in Umuahia, had asserted that he interviewed and recommended Oriaku for a job in the banking sector years ago.

Reacting sharply to this claim, Comrade Njoku criticized Governor Otti for what he described as a pattern of dishonesty and intolerance towards opposing voices.

“Governor Alex Otti has an ugly penchant to lie, denigrate and despise dissenters,” Njoku stated.

He accused the governor of using hostile language and threats against those who question his administration’s transparency and accountability.

“He relishes twisting history for cheap resentments, ego, and discrimination,” Njoku added.

Njoku by his comment, branded Otti a “manipulator” and “gaslighting champion” who presents himself as infallible and unchallengeable.

Referring specifically to the governor’s remarks about Oriaku, Njoku dismissed them as an attempt to belittle a respected professional.

“I listened to Otti despise and denigrate Obinna Oriaku, suggesting he gave him a lifeline by recommending him for a banking job.

“That’s false,” he said.

Njoku described Oriaku as a man of integrity, competence, and resilience who had already made significant strides in his career long before Otti was known in many parts of Abia State.

He praised Oriaku for responding with “courage and verifiable facts.”

Oriaku, on his part, issued a detailed response to set the record straight.

In a statement titled “Clarifying the Facts: Truth About Obinna Oriaku’s Employment at First Bank”, he refuted the governor’s version of events.

He labelled it an attempt to distort facts rather than address substantive governance issues.

According to Oriaku, his banking career began in 1998 at FSB International Bank in Lagos, where he quickly earned recognition for his performance.

Over the years, he advanced through positions at Citizens International Bank, Diamond Bank, FCMB, and BankPHB, building a solid reputation for excellence.

Notably, by 2006, Oriaku was the primary banker for the Enugu State Government while at BankPHB, working under then-Governor Chimaroke Nnamani and later Governor Sullivan Chime.

A significant turning point came in 2009 when Central Bank reforms under Sanusi Lamido Sanusi led to the removal of several bank MDs, destabilizing many institutional relationships, including those in Enugu.

Around this time, Governor Chime met Alex Otti at the burial of President Yar’Adua in Katsina, where Otti was introduced by then-Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

This encounter initiated a conversation about First Bank managing Enugu State’s accounts.

Upon returning to Enugu, Governor Chime decided to shift state accounts to First Bank but made it a condition that Oriaku be retained as the Relationship Manager.

Initially, First Bank failed to meet Oriaku’s terms, prompting Enugu to halt the account transition.

Eventually, First Bank revised its offer, satisfying the conditions, and Oriaku took charge of the new arrangement.

Oriaku emphasized that it is both misleading and dishonest to suggest that Otti offered him a job out of sympathy or ethnic solidarity.

“Mr. Oriaku was never out of a job; in fact, it was his professional value that compelled Enugu State to make his retention a condition for the banking relationship,” the statement read.

During the five months Oriaku worked under Otti at First Bank, he reportedly performed so well that Otti sent a now-late Diamond Bank executive to try to recruit him.

Oriaku declined and chose to stay with First Bank until the end of Governor Chime’s tenure.

Later, through the support of Elder UK Eke, then GMD of FirstBank Holdco Plc, Oriaku was seconded to serve as Abia State Finance Commissioner.

Remarkably, he continued drawing a salary from First Bank while serving in the role pro bono for four years, an appointment based on merit, not political favor.

“Otti did not stumble upon Oriaku during a random interview. Oriaku’s appointment was tied to his performance and value to Enugu State’s financial dealings, not to any gesture of goodwill,” Oriaku clarified.

He added that Governor Otti’s misrepresentation of the facts appears to be a diversion tactic from issues of misgovernance and corruption currently facing Abia State.

Oriaku concluded that his response was not intended as political drama but to preserve the truth in the face of misleading narratives.

His statement was taken from a forthcoming memoir documenting his transition from the banking sector to public service in Abia State.

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