The Abia State Government has clarified the controversy surrounding an entry in its 2025 Accountant-General’s Report, saying the approximately ₦1.003 billion expenditure recorded for the procurement of Toyota Hilux vehicles covered 12 vehicles and not two, as indicated in the published document.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, made the clarification in a statement dated September 1, 2026, attributing the discrepancy to a quantity-entry error on page 401 of the consolidated schedule.
According to the government, a review of the underlying payment records and supporting procurement documents by the Office of the Accountant-General established that the figure “2” published in the report resulted from the omission of the digit “1” from the intended figure “12.”
“The figure ‘2’ that appeared on page 401 of the consolidated schedule resulted from the omission of the digit ‘1’. It did not reflect the actual number of vehicles purchased,” the government stated.
The government said the verified payment schedule showed a total expenditure of ₦1,003,091,350, representing an average cost of approximately ₦83.59 million per vehicle.
Providing a breakdown of the transaction, the statement said Ubale Services Enterprises supplied two 2024 Toyota Hilux vehicles for ₦177.75 million, while Globe Motors Holdings Limited supplied two batches of five Toyota Hilux Double Cabin Automatic Petrol vehicles at ₦412.67 million per batch.
This brought the total number of vehicles listed in the government’s clarification to 12, with a stated gross expenditure of approximately ₦1.003 billion.
The government maintained that the suppliers involved are identifiable corporate entities, adding that the number, specifications and value of the vehicles supplied could be independently verified through the companies and relevant government records.
It also welcomed the public scrutiny that followed publication of the Accountant-General’s Report, describing citizens’ interest in the state’s financial records as an important element of accountable governance.
According to the statement, Governor Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has consistently maintained that his administration is not above making mistakes and would acknowledge and correct errors or omissions discovered in official publications.
“The Abia State Government will not hesitate to admit any mistake, omission or typographical error made in the course of our official publications, and we will make corrections promptly in the interest of transparency if need be,” the statement said.
The government consequently announced that the identified reporting error would be formally corrected and accompanied by an explanatory note to ensure that the state’s public financial records accurately reflect the transaction.
It reaffirmed the Otti administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability and responsible management of public resources, assuring that financial records would continue to be made available for public scrutiny and that questions arising from such publications would be addressed promptly.
The clarification follows public questions surrounding the Accountant-General’s report and the apparent cost of the Toyota Hilux vehicles, which the government now insists arose from an erroneous quantity entry rather than the procurement of only two vehicles for ₦1.003 billion.
