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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti has said
contrary to the misleading falsehood being peddled by former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s aides that the former Governor never left any debt in any Commercial Bank, that verifiable evidence showed the past administration in the state left a debt profile of over N109b.
According to a statement by Otti’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, the debt were owed the commercial banks as follows,
UBA, N8,012,830, 371.44; Zenith Bank, N21, 557, 168, 761.71; Union Bank, N597, 637, 399.
The statement added that over N40b was owed to Central Bank of Nigeria “in addition to several billions owed foreign lenders, and over N50b owed in salary, pension and Gratuities arrears.
Ekeoma disclosed that in the last nine months, the Otti administration has paid off all the commercial bank loans the past administration got from UBA and Zenith banks, stressing that monthly repayments of the remaining loans are being undertaken as they fall due.
Ekeoma said it is unfortunate that Otti’s predecessor and his former aides believe that the only way to stop the well deserved accolades the Governor is garnering over his visionary and purposeful leadership is to resort to campaign of calumny and disinformation against the Governor and his government.
He said against what was being peddled around, Abia state government did not borrow N145b from any bank. “We challenge the accusers to tender the documents they claimed they have.”
Ekeoma further stated, “The government has never taken a dime and will never do without the approval of the state House of Assembly.
“Governor Alex Otti clearly captured the amount the state intends to borrow in the 2024 budget and this was duly approved by the State House of Assembly.”
Accusing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state of playing bad opposition, Ekeoma said, “They also ignorantly think that their malice and siege against the Governor in the media would have the propensity to derail his government and possibly prevent the government from asking genuine questions on the horrendous destruction and looting of government property under their watch. We have news for them, they are mistaken.
“PDP should be reminded that having been in opposition in the past, we know how opposition works. We know that the essence of opposition is to achieve good governance and not to wallow in anger and frustration over electoral defeat. We know that opposition requires tact and tenacity”, Ekeoma said.
