APC chieftain challenges Otti over ₦54bn school renovation claims
yarkarkara
By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress APC in Abia State, Prince Paul Ikonne, has asked Governor Alex Otti to provide evidence of schools renovated with the ₦54 billion reportedly spent on education projects in the state.
Ikonne, in a statement issued on Tuesday through his Chief Press Secretary, Ujo Justice, accused the governor of “distracting the people with contradictions” instead of addressing what he described as a growing concern among Abians.
The controversy followed Governor Otti’s recent denial during his monthly media chat that the said amount was missing from the state treasury.
Otti dismissed the claims as “baseless” and attributed them to ignorance about government budgeting and expenditure processes.
However, Ikonne faulted the governor’s explanation, pointing to budget performance records and a recent Sahara Reporters investigation, which indicated that ₦54.066 billion was captured as expenditure on school rehabilitation in the last quarter of 2024 alone, while a total of ₦58.323 billion was recorded for the entire 2024 fiscal year.
According to him, if the governor maintains that only ₦2.1 billion was actually spent, then he must reconcile the discrepancy with official records showing otherwise.
He also recalled that a previous administration had similarly announced ₦18 billion for school renovation without tangible results.
The former Governorship candidate cited reports that the approved 2024 budget earmarked ₦64.7 billion for the renovation and modelling of 51 schools, averaging ₦1.26 billion per school. This, he said, raises even more questions about transparency in the state’s financial management.
Ikonne expressed support for the Freedom of Information FOI request filed by the Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development FENRAD, which is seeking a breakdown of the ₦54 billion expenditure, including names, locations and details of schools allegedly renovated.
“Budgets are estimates, but expenditures are facts. If the governor disputes the ₦54 billion reported as spent between October and December 2024, he should simply publish the list of schools. Abians are asking for evidence, not excuses”, he stated.
He urged Governor Otti to embrace accountability and stop what he described as “propaganda,” insisting that true leadership must reflect openness and responsibility.
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