Abia PDP Condemns Financial Mismanagement Under Governor Alex Otti | #NwokeukwuMascot

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Umuahia — The Abia State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has issued a scathing critique of Governor Alex Otti’s handling of state finances, accusing him of misappropriating over N30 billion on questionable projects. This accusation comes amid concerns about growing insecurity and fiscal mismanagement in the state.

The statement, released today and signed by Elder Abraham Amah, the PDP Vice Chairman and Acting State Publicity Secretary, is titled “Alex Otti’s Financial Recklessness in Abia State is Unprecedented.” It highlights what the PDP describes as exorbitant and unverifiable expenditures under Otti’s administration.

The PDP’s statement criticizes these expenditures, particularly highlighting the state’s deteriorating security situation and the recent resignation of two commissioners from Otti’s cabinet. The commissioners resigned, citing an inability to account for N4.7 billion and N1.6 billion spent in their respective ministries without their knowledge.

The statement reads, “The attention of the Abia PDP has yet again been drawn to the unbridled frittering of Abia State funds by Alex Otti. It is on record that governor Alex Otti spent over N30b of Abia funds on unverifiable expenditure headings in six months.

“Records contained in the Abia State Fiscal Transparency , Accountability and Sustainability, SEFTAS reveal that Alex Otti spent over N10.7b on security votes, (different from money spent on security,) N6.79 billion on purchase of vehicles for the governor's office, another N5.55b on purchase of vehicles, N6.5b on construction of recreational facilities, N2.41b on construction of hospitals, another N585m on maintenance of hospitals, N7.02b on research and development, N4.1b on agricultural seedlings, N384m on monitoring and evaluation, N40m on anniversary celebrations, N1.3b on the construction of water facilities, another N838m on water pollution, prevention and control, and a whopping 13 percent of the State's total revenue on himself during the period under review. 

“This is particularly distressing considering the fact that Abia State under the same period has become a security flashpoint in the South East where security personnel have been brutally murdered by non-state actors while governor Alex Otti revels in accomplishments only seen on the pages of newspapers and social media handles of his hatchet men.

“This revelation further confirms the credulity of the recent resignation of two of his commissioners; for Agriculture and Science and Technology respectively, who left from his cabinet because governor Alex Otti could not explain to them how expenditure of N4.7b and N1.6b were made in their ministries without their knowledge.”

The party condemns Otti’s administration for what it describes as a pattern of financial profligacy and a disregard for public welfare. The statement emphasizes that despite a significant increase in state revenue, including funds recently allocated by the Federal Government, Otti’s administration continues to face criticism for unpaid salaries and excessive borrowing. Furthermore, the PDP points out recent controversial decisions, such as Otti’s plan to rebuild the Abia Lodge in Abuja at N8 billion and his intention to construct a new government house in Umuahia, despite ongoing economic hardships and alleged misallocation of funds.

“This financial recklessness speaks to the enduring pattern of profligacy that has characterised the inhuman face of the Alex Otti administration which is not only self-serving  but completely anti-people. 

“Since he assumed office, Alex Otti has sacked more than 15,000 Abia civil servants, subjected the remaining ones to endless verifications, and still owes many civil servants arrears of salaries, despite the fact that Abia funds have quadrupled in the past 13 months, and he has received more money in one year than the penultimate governor received in his entire eight years in office. 

“A litany of the financial recklessness of Alex Otti will make many kleptocrats recoil in shock, because it is quite unprecedented in the annals of Abia history.

“Last week, he pulled down the Abia Lodge in Abuja, and said that he will rebuild it with N8b, when arrears of salaries owed during his tenure have not been cleared. Again, he said that he will pull down the Abia State government House in Umuahia and give Abia State a befitting Government House, when Abia State indigenes are starving, and in the midst of the hunger in the land. All these needless reconstruction efforts do not have altruistic values, amid allegations that he does them just to corner the contracts to his cronies and fronts, especially as due process and the letters of the Abia Procurement Acts are not followed in the award of contracts.

“Last week, Alex Otti left Abia on a chartered flight to Lagos to attend a birthday party that eventually claimed the live of Nigeria's foremost songstress, Onyeka Onwenu, and made a show of returning to Abia on an economy class ticket on a commercial flight, amid the looming danger that hung over the nation in the face of the planned nationwide protest by the deprived Nigerian youths. Interestingly, he didn't convince Abians as he has not shown them pictures of the economy class flight that took him to Lagos. 

“During the same last week, the Federal Government distributed funds to states and Abia State received about N10b, and Alex Otti has not deemed it fit to inform Abians that he received any money from the Federal Government. 

“Worse still, Alex Otti has converted the grants that were sent to Abia state by the federal government as loans to be given out to Abians on interest rates. This is an unquantifiable level of executive wickedness, and Abians of good conscience should prevail upon Alex Otti to retrace his steps, and take into cognisance the fact that majority of Abians are suffering in this very uncertain time. 

“In all of these, Alex Otti continues to borrow money on behalf of Abia State, without telling Abians what the borrowed funds are meant for, and the repayment plan for the future. 

In closing, the Abia PDP calls on the citizens of Abia State to hold Governor Otti accountable and ensure that his administration fulfills its promises to the people. The party reaffirms its commitment to representing the interests of Abians and urges continued vigilance and advocacy against financial mismanagement.

“The Abia PDP feels deeply concerned that a government that came to power on the premise that it will have a human face would turn out to be anti-people in all ramifications. 

“We call on the good people of Abia State to continue to put the fire on the feet of Alex Otti, and prevail upon him to be what he promised to be when he campaigned to become the governor of Abia State. PDP: Power to the People!” It concluded.