Missing N54 Billion: Abia Govt. Threatens  To Sue Opposition

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Abia State Government has vowed it will not hesitate to explore all available legal options to rein-in  those behind the spate of malicious and misleading propaganda, aimed at distracting it from delivering on its mandate to the people.

The authorities warned  that they will no longer sit by and watch idly as some misguided elements continue to spread deliberate falsehood in the State.

The hard stance of the Government is coming on the heels of the  seemingly unending controversy and exchange of brickbats between the opposition camp and the authorities over alleged missing   N54 billion from the coffers of the state.

For almost a year, the opposition forces have been separately and collectively demanding explanation for the whereabouts of the public schools which the Abia state Government claimed to have renovated with a whopping sum of N 54 billion.

The opposition forces said that the Abia state Government in its quarterly financial reports  of 2024, listed N54 billion as the amount spent on the renovation of about 51 public schools in the State.

However, the opposition comprising the Peoples Democratic party, PDP, All Progressive Congress APC, and many other concerned individuals have insisted that there are no  such renovated public schools anywhere in the State.

Consequently, they have continued to challenge the Government to either organize a media tour to unveil the renovated schools or return the said amount to the State coffers .

Penultimate week, the matter was taken to the national scene when the immediate past Commissioner for Information Barr. Eze Chikamnayo, at a press briefing, in Abuja called on the Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, to come clean on the missing N 54 billion for schools renovation.

Leading a group of concerned Abians, Chikamnayo, a chieftain of the APC , threatened to institute legal proceedings with a view to recovering the said funds.

Before Chikamnayo’s Abuja protestation, the Abia state PDP, more than any other groups or individuals,  had been leading the charge for the State Government to explain to the people what actually happened to the funds as there are no renovated schools anywhere in the state to justify the N54 billion expenditure.

The situation was exacerbated last week following what not a few people have come to perceive as the Governor’s unconvincing attempt to explain the actual circumstances surrounding the said funds .

At his monthly media chat last Friday August 15, Governor Otti noted that the said N54 billion was a mere budgetary estimate and not actual spending done by the authorities.

According to him, only about N2 billion Naira has been spent on the school renovation programme, noting that the project is still ongoing.

He insisted that the opposition  has been misunderstanding the difference between budgetary estimate and actual expenditure by the Government.

However, not a few were, and are still unpersuaded by the Governor’s explanation ,given the fact that the N 54 billion is contained in the budget performance report and not the 2024 budgetary estimate.

But addressing the media late Monday evening after its weekly Executive Council meeting ,the Abia State Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kalu said the state Government is now ready to mount legal proceedings against any further misinformation and false narratives.

According to him, while the present administration in the State, welcomes constructive criticisms, it will? however, no longer remain silent in the face of orchestrated plots to create unnecessary disaffection and confusion among the populace.

“The State Government is using this opportunity to say that it will no longer fold it’s hands ,and watch while deliberate attempts are being made to publish falsehood and outright falsehood against the Government” Prince Kalu stated.

However, he emphasized that much unlike what was obtainable during past regimes ,the Governor Otti”s administration will not resort to illegal and unconstitutional means ,but will explore legal options in addressing the situation.

“We will not hesitate to bring the full weight of the law to bear on those peddling baseless falsehood and misleading information against the Government.

This is as he appealed to citizens and residents seeking information on the activities of the Government to avail themselves the appropriate channels rather than relying on misinformation and false narratives.

According to Kalu, the present administration in the State has been religious in its policy of making information accessible to the public , insisting that the Quarterly financial reports is being published in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act ,as well as to ensure transparency and accountability.

Such measure, he noted, is not compelled by law, but was voluntarily done by the State Government to underscore its commitment to good governance .

” We publish these results out of the need to ensure transparency and accountability in the way Abia is run  . But what we are saying is that some people should not abuse the privilege. While we appreciate the fact that every Abian deserve the right to freedom of expression,we will not tolerate any acts of deliberate falsehood and misleading publications .

” This Government will not tolerate any attempts to mislead members of the public through unnecessary propaganda. .

“The Government will take recourse to the laws of the land . A word is enough for the wise”. Prince Kalu warned .