POLITICS

Gov. Otti Has Abandoned Governance, Engaging In Financial Recklessness — PDP

The Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the state governor, Dr. Alex Otti of abandoning governance in a short while and engaging in what the party calls financial recklessness.

The party says this came after its review of the 3rd Quarter 2023 budget performance report provided by the state government.

“This publication is coming on the heels of the cash award to States by the World Bank under the States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability, SFTAS, and after a very careful and professional review, the Abia PDP came to the inevitable conclusion that Alex Otti has displayed an unparalleled, unequalled and inhumane level of financial recklessness that speaks to the abandonment of good governance in such a short period in office and a flagrant disregard to his campaign promises”, the party said in a statement on Thursday signed by Hon. Elder Abraham Amah, the PDP Vice Chairman/Acting State Publicity Secretary.

The party while accusing Gov. Otti of not doing enough in delivering democratic dividends said his Ebonyi State counterpart, Gov. Nwifuru tangible dividends of democracy to his people, accusing Otti of running a government of propaganda in the media.

He said, “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.

“Very few revelations in the expenditure records will startle even the most adept kleptocrat and make the innocent recoil in wonderment as to how such a barefaced financial wickedness can be meted against citizens in this very austere times.

“According to the records, Alex Otti used the sum of N5.32 billion to run the governor’s office from his private residence in Isiala Ngwa in three months while his counterpart in Ebonyi State used the sum of N805 million to run the governor’s office during the period under review.

“About a month ago, Alex Otti made a public display of self-indictment when he announced to a gathering of his ‘yes men’ that he has not and will not collect salary of about N1.6m a month as a governor and they gave him a thunderous applause even when they did not know that he collects an unaccounted amount of N933.3 million naira monthly as security vote, totalling N2.8 billion in the months of July-September while his Ebonyi counterpart collected N805 million naira for the same period.

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“In the period under review, Alex Otti spent a staggering sum of N542.8 million to oil his propaganda machinery, the Abia Ministry of Information and propaganda which is run from Lagos just to deceive and continue to confuse the unsuspecting Abia public who are mistaken of his sanctimonious posture.

“In the expenditure record, the Abia deputy governor’s office spent the sum of N252 million while the Ebonyi State deputy governor spent the sum of N95m in the period under review even as he used the sum of N393m to clear refuse in only Aba and Umuahia under State Environmental Protection Agency, ASEPA.

“In all of this recklessness, the smoking gun is the total recurrent expenditure of N10.8 billion out of a revenue of N25.21 billion even when about 10, 000 workers in the Abia State Civil Service have been unduly sacked by Alex Otti and he spent an unverifiable N5.02 billion on capital expenditure while Ebonyi received a revenue of N23b and spent N11.85 on capital expenditure. More startling is the fact that many Abia Civil Servants have either been paid half salaries or none at all and the big question is why such a huge cost on recurrent expenditures?

“The foregoing figures have put paid to the continuous insistence of the Abia PDP that Alex Otti was running an opaque system of government which does not help the growth and development of the State and the publication of this 3rd Quarter budget performance has vindicated the Abia PDP.

“And for those who are still in doubt and always reduce the insistence of the Abia PDP on transparency and accountability to mere opposition politics, we urge you to visit the website through this link https://abiastate.gov.ng/abia-state-3rd-quarter-2023-budget-performance-report-2/ and acquaint yourselves with the facts about how your funds have been abused and misused by Alex Otti and the Labour Party.

“We call on the members of the PDP and the good people of Abia State to prevail upon Alex Otti to be more careful in his spending and understand that the growth and development of Abia State is more paramount than his governance through propaganda.”