Gov Otti must tell Abians what happens to state allocations, revenues – Ex-Finance Commissioner, Oriaku

Former Commissioner for Finance and Budget Planning in Abia State, Hon Obinna Oriaku, has added his voice to calls for transparency and accountability in handling the monthly Federal allocations and other accruals to the state.

In a statement issued on Monday, Hon. Oriaku, who served as Finance Commissioner under Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), called on Governor Alex Otti to be transparent with Abians by disclosing how various allocations from the Federation Account and the Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) of the state have been utilized.

The call comes barely one month after the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, urged prudent management of federal resources to the state, emphasizing proper utilization of revenue allocations and other generated funds to address critical infrastructure in Abia State.

Kalu, while addressing the Renewed Hope Partners in Abia last month, also indicated that the state received N38 billion in excess of federal allocations and other accruals monthly during the second quarter of 2025.

Governor Otti, however, dismissed the claim, insisting that monthly revenues for the state stand at N15 billion.

In an article titled Abia’s Q3 2025 Financial Report: Unanswered Questions, Conflicting Figures and Rising Transparency Concerns, the former Finance Commissioner Oriaku challenged Governor Otti’s claims, describing them as “suspicious” and “confusing.”

He stated that the recently published Abia Q3 2025 Financial Report, reviewed by Progressives Abia Youth, has stirred a fresh wave of concern across the state. Although the sectoral breakdown appears detailed at first glance, a deeper look reveals figures that sharply contradict what is observable on the ground and what the government previously claimed.

“The report indicates that Abia received a total revenue of 91 billion naira in Q3, a noticeable drop from the 114 billion recorded in Q2. This reduction confirms that the state enjoyed substantial non-FAAC inflows in Q2, which pushed the earlier figure upward. Yet Q3 was a period marked by some of the highest FAAC disbursements nationwide, including 1.9 trillion naira in July, 2.3 trillion naira in August, and 2.1 trillion naira in September. During this same period, Abia’s internally generated revenue reportedly increased from 13.3 billion to 18 billion naira,” Oriaku said.

He expressed disappointment that, “despite these realities, the state government continues to deny that Abia received an average of 38 billion naira monthly between April and June. For clarity, Abia received 84 billion naira in Q1, which translates to about 28 billion monthly. In Q2, the figure rose significantly to 114 billion naira, about 38 billion monthly. In Q3, the total revenue of 91 billion naira translates to 30.3 billion monthly.

“These inconsistencies have triggered public doubt, especially because the same government has been busy discrediting a financial report prepared and signed by its own authorized officials. Many Abians are now asking why states such as Enugu and Imo have visible landmark projects funded from these same revenues, while Abia citizens are expected to celebrate patchwork road repairs. Officials insist on being judged using the standard of past administrations, even though current economic realities are far more favourable.

“It is therefore legitimate to ask what the Abia State Government does with over N30 billion it receives monthly from FAAC alone, excluding the 17 local governments’ allocations that average about N11 billion monthly. When both figures are combined, Abia’s total monthly inflow rises to well over 40 billion naira, making the lack of transparency in the state’s financial reporting even more troubling.

“Suspicious patterns in the expenditure report further heighten public concern. A recurring tactic observed under the present administration is the continuous shifting and renaming of expenditure sub-heads in ways that appear designed to obscure questionable spending. The previously controversial Security Vote, which recorded nearly 1 billion naira, and the much-criticized 300 million naira Government House feeding bill, which triggered public backlash and was highlighted by Reuben Abati on Arise TV, have suddenly vanished from the report.

“These same classifications have now reappeared under the vague title ‘Research and Development,’ an expenditure line that has consumed more than 34 billion naira since 2023 without any clear or measurable output.”

On the newly released sectoral analysis for the third quarter of the year, the former Finance Commissioner faulted the N14.4 billion claimed to have been spent on Land and Housing, urging the Governor to provide further clarifications.

“This allocation raises serious concerns. Was it used for land compensation? If so, who were the beneficiaries between July and September? Abia currently has no visible housing project to justify this spending. The state also cannot account for the 6.7 billion naira recreational facility reportedly funded since Q3 2023.

“Furthermore, the claim that 82 billion naira has been spent on repairing public schools from January 2024 to September 2025 does not align with what is physically observable across the state,” he posited.

Hon. Oriaku also queried the N9.1 billion allocated to the Transport sector, probing further whether the fund was related to the electric bus project that “mysteriously increased from 20 buses to 100 without any public justification,” adding that “Abians deserve to know how many buses were purchased and at what actual cost.”