Governor Otti Issues Warning Amid Accusations of Neglect by Chinese Company in Host Community

The Mayor of Ukwa West LGA in Abia State, Newman Azu, has informed Governor Alex Otti about the activities of Inner Galaxy, a Chinese steel manufacturing company in his local government. Azu alleged that the company has been polluting local waterways daily and has not paid any dues to Ukwa West LGA for the past six years.

During a peace meeting at Governor Otti’s residence, which included traditional rulers from Ukwa West and officials from Inner Galaxy, Azu further claimed that the company pays its staff as little as N15,000 per month and has neglected its relationship with the host community. Eze Augustine Dike, Chairman of the Ukwa West Traditional Rulers Council, supported Azu’s claims, accusing Inner Galaxy of damaging and abandoning community roads and ignoring letters from the community.

Eze Dike appealed to Governor Otti for intervention. In response, Inner Galaxy’s Managing Director, Hongming Zhang, denied the allegations, stating that the company pays between N60,000 and N500,000 in monthly salaries and adheres to international best practices. Zhang promised to improve the welfare of the host community.

Governor Otti directed Inner Galaxy to implement initiatives that would positively contribute to the socio-economic growth of the host communities and the state. He noted that the issues stemmed from poor communication between the company and the host communities and warned that the government would sanction the company if it did not resolve the disputes.

Otti urged Inner Galaxy to conduct an internal audit to verify staff salaries and emphasized that unrest in the host community could lead to the company’s closure. He stressed the importance of following government directives and expressed concern over reports of Inner Galaxy using security agents to harass community members.

It is worth noting that in May this year, a female staff member, Vivian Ocheze Ogbonna, allegedly died after being pushed from a crane by a Chinese manager, which led to protests in Umuahala Obuzor Ukwa.