Alex Otti is a successful banker that has showed credibility in private and public life. This article will enable readers to know about his early life, education, parents, business career, political life and how he eventually became the Governor of Abia State using a different party platform to remove a party that has been ruling Abia for more than two decades dated back since 1999.
Parents
Alex Otti’s success in life has made many to wonder who gave birth to him. The inquisitive is channeled to unveil the status of his parents and their indelible mark in the society. No man falls from the tree and Alex is from somewhere and shaped into manhood by his parents. He was born into the family of late Pastor and Mrs. Lazarus Weze Otti. His earthly father was a pastor and it speaks volume on his humanity by always placing people first in everything he does and pious way of living life.
Early life
Alex Otti was born at Umuru, Umuehim village in Isiala Ngwa South LGA of Abia State. Umuru Umehim village is known to be located in Ehi Na Uguru Ancient Kingdom. On 18th February 1965, joy came to the household of Pastor Lazarus Otti announcing the birth of a male child known today as Alex Otti.
Education
His early education better expressed as basic education commenced in Ngwa before he went ahead to pursue other education outside Ngwa and far from Abia State as a whole. Alex commenced his secondary school education at Ngwa High School after his primary school and went on to attend a technical school at Okpuala Ngwa all in present day Abia State, South East Nigeria. Even from his basic education, he already depicted his love for education and he showed all that he is very intelligent by depicting it practically which earned him the trophy of best graduating student in his class that sat for school certificate examination.
After his high school education commonly referred to as secondary school education in Nigeria, he proceeded to the University of Port Harcourt to further his studies. In University of Port Harcourt referred also as UNIPORT in acronym, he enrolled in the department of Economics where he dedicated his time learning the nitty gritty of economics. He buried himself in books by taking his studies very serious and in 1988; he graduated with a first class honours degree in Economics.
When first class degree holders in Nigeria are counted, Alex Otti’s name won’t be missing. He did not rest his laurel after achieving the gigantic graduation with a first class degree, he went ahead to pursue a masters degree. In his hunger to know more, he enrolled again for Masters degree program in a State far from Rivers State where he had his first degree and from his State of origin Abia State where he had his basic education. He applied for Masters of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Lagos, Lagos State Nigeria and he earned MBA degree from the school in the year 1994.
To attain high position in career journey and to prepare for his future, he still went ahead to pursue other special education and courses for knowledge and exposures. In Columbia Business School, Stanford Business School and Wharton Business School under University of Pennsylvania, he participated actively in courses offered in Executive Development programs. His search for purposeful education also engineered him to attend another executive program at INSEAD Fontainebleau, France.
Banking Career
In 1989, Alex Otti started his banking career when he secured paid employment from Citibank New York through a subsidiary of it in Nigeria called Nigerian International Bank. He started from the operations department to gain some level of working experience and understanding the business of banking sector before he left there to join Intercontinental Bank. In the new bank, he used his expertise to prove himself as an asset to the bank which enabled him to function actively in three different units of the bank such as the treasury, corporate service and financial units.
Before he joined United Bank for Africa (UBA) where he was elevated into a bigger position, he had worked for Societe Bancaire Nigeria Limited and also rose to the position of becoming a senior manager in the bank. He worked assiduously for United Bank for Africa (UBA) until he left UBA to join the premier bank that enjoys the name First Bank of Nigeria Plc. He joined First bank in 2001 as assistant general manager focusing on the energy sector of the bank. The reward of good job is more work and this witty saying was shown on his promotion in 2004 to serve as deputy general manager in First Bank and becoming an Executive Director of the bank in 2005.
Having accomplished lots of things for first bank and achieved high positions he could, he left in 2011 to become the Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Bank for two tenures. His excellent performances made him to be re-appointed for the second term.
In the year 2014, he decided to retire from Diamond Bank and handed over to another General Managing Director before exiting the bank as CEO. The bank later merged with Access Bank after some years and the buildings of the bank all over the country was rebranded to Access bank.
Political Career
Alex Otti recorded tremendous success in private sector as seen in his rise to the apex position as Chief Executive Officer of a notable bank in Nigeria. He nursed the ambition of taking over the leadership of his state Abia State and lead from the front as the Governor of the State. In 2015, he contested for the office of the Governor of his State through All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) but lost to Okezie Ikpeazu who ruled the state from 2015- 2023.
Despite the setback encountered in his political outings he never gave up and believed strongly that someday he will govern Abia State and birth the ideas he has for the progress of his state. In buildup of 2023 General election in Nigeria, he joined the former Governor of Anambra State Mr Peter Obi to defect to Labour Party where he secured Governorship ticket of the party in the State and Peter Obi equally secured presidential ticket of Labour Party for 2023 General election. He campaigned very well touring Abia State with his wife Priscilla Otti and his supporters to share his manifestoes and plans for sporadic development of his dear State Abia.
He contested for the Governorship position and won the election after beating his counterparts in People’s Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressive Congress (APC), All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Young Progressive Party (YPP) etc. On 29th of May he was sworn in as Governor of Abia State alongside his deputy Mr. Ikechukwu Emetu. He created history as the second person to become Governor of a state in Nigeria through Labour Party (LP) and the first in south east region.
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