Governor Otti Expended ₦‎927 Million on Meals and ₦‎25 Million on Public Schools

Abia State Budget Report Reveals Governor Otti’s Expenditure: N927 Million Spent on Meals and Welfare Packages in Three Months, N25 Million on Public Schools

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State allocated a substantial sum of N927 million in a span of three months for refreshment/meals, settlement of honorarium, allowances, and welfare packages for government officials, according to the state budget performance report obtained by SaharaReporters.

The Q3 and year-to-date performance is evaluated against the revised 2023 budget, encompassing the original budget and an additional amendment virement sum of N22,263,269,900, as summarized below,” it stated.

“This Budget Performance Report is produced by the Abia State Planning Commission, Budget Department/Office of the Accountant General, Accounts Production Department and published on the Abia State website.”

According to the report, the Otti-led government expended N223,389,889.84 on refreshment/meals, while N305,400,000.00 was allocated to honorarium and sitting allowances for government officials between July and September 2023.

The government also reported an expenditure of N397,520,734.00 on welfare packages.

Moreover, the document indicated that N737,922,661.25 was utilized for the acquisition of motor vehicles, with no details on the quantity and recipients of the vehicles.

Simultaneously, the Abia government allocated N362,804,050.00 for the procurement of trucks, and an additional N400,890,000.00 was utilized for the purchase of buses.

The report also asserted that N252.4 million was spent on running the Deputy Governor’s office for three months.

However, the report disclosed that only N25 million was allocated for the repair of public schools in the state. This is in stark contrast to the reported dilapidation of many public primary and secondary school buildings and facilities across the 17 local government areas of Abia State. Numerous reports describe these schools as aging, decaying, and suffering from government neglect, with buildings in disrepair, leaking roofs, broken furniture, doors, and windows, some completely abandoned, and surrounded by garbage and overgrown shrubs.