The Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has launched a scathing accusation against the state governor, Dr. Alex Otti, claiming that he has swiftly abandoned his duties and engaged in financial recklessness. This assertion follows the party’s scrutiny of the 3rd Quarter 2023 budget performance report provided by the state government.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by Hon. Elder Abraham Amah, the PDP Vice Chairman/Acting State Publicity Secretary, the party lambasted Governor Otti for his alleged fiscal irresponsibility. The PDP asserted that despite receiving a cash award from the World Bank under the States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability, and Sustainability (SFTAS) program, Otti’s actions demonstrated a severe lack of commitment to good governance and a disregard for his campaign promises.
The Abia PDP accused Governor Otti of failing to deliver democratic dividends to the people, contrasting his administration with that of his Ebonyi State counterpart, Governor Nwifuru, who they claim has been more prudent in expenditure and has provided tangible benefits to his constituents. The party further accused Otti of operating a government that relies heavily on media propaganda.
The statement read, “The financial recklessness captured in almost every sector of Abia life is made worse, especially when compared with the records of our sister state, Ebonyi, whose governor was more miserly in his expenditure and has apparently done more in delivering tangible dividends of democracy to his people than the government of propaganda run on the media by Alex Otti.”
The PDP pointed to troubling revelations within expenditure records, drawing attention to what they deemed “barefaced financial wickedness” in austere times. Notable claims in the statement included that Governor Otti allocated N5.32 billion to run the governor’s office from his private residence in Isiala Ngwa over three months, while his counterpart in Ebonyi State spent N805 million on the governor’s office during the same period.
The statement also accused Governor Otti of collecting an unaccounted amount of N933.3 million naira monthly as a security vote, totaling N2.8 billion in the months of July-September, while his Ebonyi counterpart received N805 million for the same period.
Governor Otti’s allocation of N542.8 million to the Abia Ministry of Information and propaganda, which operates from Lagos, was highlighted as a further sign of financial mismanagement aimed at misleading the public.
Moreover, the statement noted disparities in expenditure between the two states, including N252 million spent by the Abia deputy governor’s office compared to N95 million by the Ebonyi State deputy governor. Additionally, Governor Otti’s allocation of N393 million for refuse clearing in Aba and Umuahia under the State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) raised eyebrows.
The PDP expressed concern over Abia’s high total recurrent expenditure of N10.8 billion out of a revenue of N25.21 billion, given the significant number of civil servants who have allegedly been unjustly sacked or received partial or no salaries. These financial discrepancies, as detailed in the statement, were said to validate the Abia PDP’s previous claims of opaque governance in the state.
