The Alex Otti inauguration committee has appealed to striking Abia civil servants to shelve the action for a smooth swearing-in of Otti as the 10th governor of the state on May 29.

The coordinator of the committee, Mr Iheanacho Obioma, made the appeal on Wednesday in Umuahia when he spoke with newsmen.

Abia civil servants resumed their earlier suspended indefinite strike over unpaid salaries and pensions on May 9.

Mr Obioma argued that failure to call off the strike on the eve of the inauguration could be interpreted as sabotaging the incoming administration’s efforts.

He wondered why civil servants would embark on industrial action during the transition process from Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the incoming administration of Otti of the Labour Party (LP).

He noted that several groups in the state had lined up activities for the inauguration.

He said the Alex Otti inaugural theme: ‘’Help is Here’’, was a follow-up to the Alex Otti Campaign Organisation’s battle charge to Abia people, prior to the 2023 governorship election.

The coordinator said the committee had designed two major events for the May 29 inauguration.

According to him, one is the formal swearing-in of the governor-elect and the deputy governor-elect, and the second is a luncheon for invited guests.

He added that some of the nation’s best and globally-acknowledged stars in music and comedy had been lined up to perform at the events.

Mr Obioma said Davido (David Adeleke) and Abia indigene, Bright Okpocha, aka Basketmouth, would perform at the events alongside other artistes.

Mr Obioma said that extensive renovation works had been carried out at the Umuahia Township Stadium and at the International Conference Centre at Ogurube Layout, Umuahia, venues of the events.

He explained that the renovations were being done with private citizens’ monies and being executed at very reasonable cost.

(NAN)