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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has accused the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, of allegedly resorting to propaganda rather than responding to the issues he raised about the governance of the state.
Kalu, while addressing the members of the Renewed Hope Partners (RHP) in Umuahia last Sunday, had said the All Progressives Congress (APC) will take over the governance of Abia State in 2027, owing to alleged poor performance of the Otti administration despite increased finances.
However, the Abia Governor, in a response by his Special Adviser on Media Ferdinand Ekeoma, said the Deputy Speaker “needs tutorials more than he needs a microphone”.
Nonetheless, Kalu, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughuogu, said the Abia government was allegedly resorting to propaganda and personality attack, rather than respond to issues.
The statement read in part: “The Otti administration’s failure to deliver on its promises is evident, and it is only natural for the opposition and the people to hold them accountable. The people of Abia State will continue to demand transparency, accountability, and tangible results from the government.
“We maintain our position on the monthly financial accruals to the State based on the State’s own published statistics. According to the Abia State Government’s own Q2 2025 Financial Report published on its official website (abiastate.gov.ng), the state receives an average of ₦38 billion monthly from FAAC allocations, internally generated revenue (IGR), and various federal interventions such as flood relief and agricultural support, LNG dividends etc.
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“In Q2 (April to June 2025) Abia received over ₦114 billion, yet the state remains visibly underdeveloped. From crumbling schools and dilapidated roads to unpaid pensions/gratuities and a collapsing healthcare system, there is no evidence of meaningful progress commensurate with amount received monthly.
“The Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, PhD, CFR was, therefore, absolutely correct by saying that Abia State received much as ₦38 billion every month within the Q2 2025, but the people have nothing to show for it.
“Abia’s total workforce, including local government employees, stands at about 67,000 workers. Yet the state government consistently presents incomplete figures, often mentioning only the State civil servants while excluding local government workers.
“Even after retrenching over 10,000 workers under the guise of restructuring, the government’s own financial report shows that ₦6.7 billion is spent monthly on salaries leaving roughly ₦31.3 billion unaccounted for every month.
“The critical question remains: What exactly is the Abia State Government doing with the remaining billions? The administration has provided no answers, only excuses. Transparency, it appears, is not part of its governance vocabulary.”
