Abia govt. punctures PDP’s claim

… Says Otti didn’t spend N1bn on meals, refreshment

From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia

Abia State government has denied that it ever spent about N1 billion million on meals and refreshment during the Third Quarter (July-September) of the year as was being alleged by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The allegation of financial recklessness preferred against the Labour Party-controlled government in the state was contained in a statement by the Vice Chairman (North)and Acting Publicity of Abia State Chapter of PDP, Elder Abraham Amah, who accused Governor, Dr. Alex Otti of using the sum of N5.32 billion to run his (Governor’s) office.

 Amah said PDP’s attention was drawn to the state government’s Third Quarter 2023 budget performance report, published on the state’s website, showing statements of income and expenditure for the period between July and September 2023.

 The unsavoury buzz was sparked by a third quarter report on budget performance which the government posted on its website in line with its “commitment to transparency, good governance and fiscal discipline.”

 He stated that the publication came on the heels of a cash award to states by the World Bank under States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS).

 Since the statement was publicized, aides of Governor have severally debunked the PDP claim.

The first reaction was a statement jointly endorsed by Mr. Kazie Uko and Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor and Special Adviser to the Governor (Media and Publicity), respectively, who sought to make the public to understand issues involved.

Their statement titled: “Abia State Q3 Budget Expenses: Understanding The Issues,” read thus: 

“Following the publication of the Q3 budget report of the Abia State Government, and in line with the government’s commitment to transparency, good governance and fiscal discipline, it has become necessary to shed more light on the aforementioned report.

 “This is even more so when there are certain distorted reports on social media, alleging that the Abia State Government had spent close to One Billion Naira on feeding and welfare for the Governor’s Office, within the period under review. 

 “The accurate situation is that nothing in that region has been spent in the Governor’s Office. The facts are as stated below:

“The total amount spent so far by the entire government of Abia State for Refreshments and Meals for the period is N223, 389, 889. 84.

 “The figure above is as captured in all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government.

 “Please, NOTE that this figure is for the entire state and not for the Office of the Governor, as being erroneously portrayed.

 “The stated figure covers expenses for special events, such as retreats, conferences, and related events. 

 “For welfare, the Abia State Government has so far spent the sum of N397, 520, 734. 84.

 “The Welfare expenditure is in line with the State Fiscal, Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Programme (SFTAS); an initiative of the Federal Government. 

 “Also NOTE that the Welfare Expenditure covers all the Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and not just the Governor’s Office, as wrongly alleged.

 “Expenses under Welfare deal with issues of Health, Rehabilitation and Public Emergencies.

The Abia State Government, under the leadership of Dr. Alex C. Otti, OFR, will continue to uphold transparency in governance, as has been demonstrated in the publication of the budget performance report for two consecutive quarters.”

 Last Monday, the state Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr. Kingsley Anosike, while expressing dismay over “distorted reports” on social media platforms purporting that Governor Alex Otti had, under three months, spent close to N1 billion on meals and entertainment, told newsmen in Umuahia that the Abia opposition had orchestrated “some distortions” on some of the subheadings in the Q3 report.

 Anosike said that within the period under review, the government spent N223, 389, 889.84 on meals and refreshments, which is just 24 percent of the purported N927 million being bandied about in the social media space, adding that the actual expenditure on meals and entertainment did not represent figures only from the office of the Governor but from the entire government structure.

 According to him, the figure was derived from aggregation of vouchers from the entire ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government, totalling 74 in number; hence it captures all expenses of the government on meals and entertainment.

 He said that “the Abia State Government has so far spent the sum of N397,520,734.84 on welfare.”

Welfare expenditure, he explained, covers health issues, rehabilitation and emergencies, citing situations where people were involved in accidents and the government needed to bear the cost of medical care of the injured.

 “The Welfare expenditure is in line with the State Fiscal, Transparency, Accountability, and Sustainability Programme (SFTAS), an initiative of the federal government,” he said.

 On Tuesday, November 21, 2023, Ekeoma explained further, during a briefing on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting, that the opposition was trying to make the public believe that the figure they were bandying about was taken by Governor Otti for himself.

“What was spent on refreshment during the period under review is N223 million and this money in question was not spent by the Governor or for the Governor. For example, we have key government institutions that are domiciled in the office of the Governor but not the Office of the Governor per se. “For example, you have the Abia State Orientation agency, you have the traffic management agency, there are many offices domiciled in the Office of the Governor. Here we have events in different government institutions, for example the Abia Day celebration,” Ekeoma said.  

“The monies were spent on these agencies, not by the Governor or for the Governor as an individual or on his office,” he emphasised.

“We exposed the figures because we didn’t want to hide anything. Some persons would spent N500 million and come and give you a figure of N50 million. By the time anti-corruption agencies swoop on them, you discover a lot of things. But this government is open and that is why the government is laying the facts bare and we said N223 million and somebody is quoting about N900 million that doesn’t exist.

“Another that was mentioned was welfare which was N387 million and we did explain that this welfare was an initiative of the federal government during the COVID 19 outbreak, in conjunction with the World Bank. And this welfare is not food and refreshment but it has to do with government assistance or support and interventions for individuals that are facing all kinds of challenges.

“For example, a few months ago, the Commissioner for Trade and Industry, was in Aba and he was attacked by hoodlums, and two Police officers were killed. Those Policemen, their families were paid compensation, that is the welfare. There are two individuals that are undergoing chemotherapy that is being sponsored by government, we don’t come and begin to announce all these things.

“Shortly after our inauguration, we had a case at Umunkpeyi where over 30 girls were picked up from a baby factory. On a Sunday, we went there, we carried them to Umuahia in a convoy; they were quartered at Madonna Hospital, that is where they were treated and they were there for months until some of them were united with their families and some of them are still there.

“We have a disabled that you were seeing during the Obi-Datti Campaigns that is being treated by government and there are a whole lot of other interventions. So, that is what the welfare is all about and these monies go through the ministries; it is not the Governor that dips his hands in his pockets and spend these monies. That is where the welfare comes in, it is not money that the Governor used to eat food or whatever; and it is not N900 million,” the Special Adviser said.