Abia Receives N15.6b Monthly Not N38b, Gov Otti Tells Rep Benjamin Kalu
Abia State receives N15.625 billion monthly from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), including funds for the Local Governments and not N38 billion or N40 billion as claimed by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, Governor Alex Otti, has said.
Kalu had reportedly said this while addressing supporters at an Independence anniversary event in Umuahia while comparing the Otti administration with that of past governments in respect of revenue generation.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that the governor however made the clarification in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma while also describing the bogus figure presented by the Deputy Speaker as inaccurate and misleading.
‘Abia’s 2025 year-to-date FAAC allocation (eight months), including local governments, stands at N125 billion. If the figure of N38 billion monthly were correct, it would have amounted to about N304 billion within the same period’ the statement said.
Noting that despite exchange rate fluctuations from N460 to the dollar in 2023 to about N1,500 currently, Governor Otti said his administration has managed state finances prudently, executed projects and also continued to pay salary to the workers.
He further noted that the depreciation of the naira and inflation have increased the nominal value of allocations but reduced their real value due to higher project and import costs.
Adding that his administration also raised the minimum wage for workers in the state from N30,000 to N70,000, while expanding the state workforce through the recruitment of over 5,000 teachers and additional health personnel, he also noted that his administration remains focused on transparency, fiscal discipline, and inclusive governance, urging political leaders to base public discussions on verified facts.
‘Prior to 2023, the number of civil servants in Abia stood at about 31,000. Today, the verified number exceeds 67,000, excluding newly recruited teachers’ the statement added.
Governor Otti also noted that his administration welcomes constructive criticism but however cautioned against spread of misinformation that is capable of misleading the public–Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
