Tensions are rising in Abia State as Governor Alex Otti faces growing scrutiny over his administration’s project execution and claimed achievements since taking office 18 months ago.
While some hail Otti as a benchmark for infrastructural development and good governance in the Southeast and beyond, critics argue that his successes exist only in media reports and not on the ground.
A group known as the Abia State Anti-corruption Watch Group, in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP, has expressed doubts about the transparency of the state’s finances and the implementation of projects under Otti’s leadership, urging him to provide tangible evidence of the locations and progress of several high-profile initiatives.
Among the projects under question are those involving substantial sums: N11.94 billion for the construction and rehabilitation of public schools, N4.8 billion for office buildings, N3 billion for infrastructure, N7.28 billion for research and development, N3 billion for capacity building, and N1 billion for erosion control
The group’s spokesman, Eke Steve Ako, called for clarity on the N6.5 billion earmarked for recreational facilities.
“We declare that the above projects are non-existent in Abia State. We have searched for these projects with our natural eyes but couldn’t succeed.
“Similarly, all our efforts to trace the locations of these multi-billion-naira-manipulated projects in Abia State with the use of world-class Artificial Intelligence (AI) have abysmally failed,”
“It, therefore, suggests that only the executor of the projects knows the exact locations he cited them for the acclaimed benefit of our people. We, therefore, call on Governor Alex Otti to show us the locations of the above projects he claimed to have implemented with Abia State’s fund,” they added.
Other projects attracting scrutiny include N110 million for a cocoa factory and Inland Port and N713 million in TETFUND financial aid for Abia State Polytechnic, Aba.
Local businessman and politician Emmanuel Egwu also dismissed the projects as “fictitious,” stating, “The contracts are fictitious, they don’t exist anywhere. If they exist, they have a Commissioner of Works who should explain to Abians where the roads are.”
Egwu further challenged the government: “I put a challenge last month that if these roads exist anywhere, let them come and take one million naira. I went to some radio stations with the one million naira cheque and challenged them to come and show us the 108 roads you said you had fixed. Up to date, nobody has come forward.”
While acknowledging that some roads may exist, Egwu accused the government of exaggerating the scope and cost of completed projects. “Get me right, some of these roads exist, but he is exaggerating the number of roads he has executed… we should know the cost implication of these roads. I am a taxpayer residing here in Abia, so I am an interested party.”
Egwu also questioned the claims surrounding the construction of recreational centres. “He claimed he spent about N4 billion in the name of building Recreation Centres/Parks. None of these exist anywhere; however, what we are seeing in recent times are bus stops. I don’t know if bus stops should be likened to recreation parks,” he said.
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