Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has restated his administration’s commitment to merit-driven appointments, insisting that political party affiliation and state of origin do not influence who gets appointed into public office.

The governor made the remarks during the wedding ceremony of his Aide-de-Camp, Emeka Ogbonna, held on Saturday at the International Conference Centre in Umuahia. This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by his Chief Press Secretary, Ukoha Njoku.

Otti explained that competence, ability, and performance remain the key criteria guiding appointments under his administration. Referring to his ADC, he said the officer earned the position purely on merit.

“What gave him the job is merit. At the time I decided to give him the job, I didn’t know where he came from,” the governor stated.

He also addressed the appointment of Dr. Ezinne Benjamin-Kalu as Chairman of the Abia State University Teaching Hospital Management Board, noting that the selection followed a detailed interview process involving seven candidates.

According to Otti, the appointee emerged clearly ahead of the others based on performance during the evaluation.

“The lady that we chose did not only come first, but the difference between her and the person that came second was so wide,” he said.

The governor maintained that his administration is focused on results rather than ethnic background or political loyalty.

“We don’t care whether she’s APC or PDP or YPP or whatever. Those are not important. We don’t even care whether she’s from Abia or from Delta or from anywhere. We are interested in what is in her brain,” he added.

Otti further stressed that the same principle applies across all sectors of government, including the recruitment of more than 5,000 teachers and the ongoing process to employ an additional 4,000.

He noted that placing qualified individuals in key positions is essential for effective governance and improved service delivery across the state.