Former Abia State Commissioner for Finance and Budget Planning, Obinna Oriaku, has called on Governor Alex Otti to provide clearer explanations on how the state’s monthly allocations and internally generated revenues are being managed.
Oriaku, who served under former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, urged the administration to disclose detailed information on the utilisation of funds received from the Federation Account and other revenue sources. His call comes weeks after Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, advised the state government to ensure prudent use of federal resources.
Kalu had stated that Abia received monthly revenues exceeding N38 billion during the second quarter of 2025—a claim Governor Otti dismissed, insisting that the state receives about N15 billion each month.
In a commentary titled Abia’s Q3 2025 Financial Report: Unanswered Questions, Conflicting Figures and Rising Transparency Concerns, Oriaku described the government’s financial disclosures as “suspicious” and inconsistent with national revenue trends. He said the recently released Q3 report, despite appearing detailed, contains figures that contradict observable realities and earlier government statements.
According to him, while Abia posted N114 billion in total revenue for Q2, the figure fell to N91 billion in Q3, even though the quarter recorded some of the highest FAAC disbursements nationwide. He noted that internally generated revenue also rose from N13.3 billion to N18 billion within the same period.
Oriaku argued that the state’s denial of receiving an average of N38 billion monthly between April and June has fuelled public mistrust. He pointed out that Abia recorded N84 billion in Q1 (about N28 billion monthly), N114 billion in Q2 (about N38 billion monthly), and N91 billion in Q3 (about N30.3 billion monthly), excluding allocations to the 17 local government areas.
He said concerns have grown because the government appears to be distancing itself from figures released by its authorised officials, even as neighbouring states—such as Enugu and Imo—report visible infrastructure progress from similar revenues. “It is therefore legitimate to ask what the Abia State Government does with over N30 billion it receives monthly from FAAC alone,” he wrote.
Oriaku further alleged irregularities in the state’s expenditure classifications, noting that contentious items—such as the nearly N1 billion security vote and the N300 million Government House feeding bill—have reappeared under broader categories like “Research and Development,” which he claims has consumed over N34 billion since 2023 without clear outcomes.
He also questioned the N14.4 billion reportedly spent on Land and Housing in Q3, asking whether the funds were for land compensation and who the beneficiaries were. He noted there are no visible housing projects to justify the spending, nor evidence of the N6.7 billion allegedly earmarked for recreational facilities since 2023.
On the education sector, Oriaku said the state’s claim of spending N82 billion on school repairs between January 2024 and September 2025 does not match physical realities across Abia. He further queried the N9.1 billion allocated to the transport sector and sought clarification on whether it is tied to the electric bus project, which he said inexplicably expanded from 20 to 100 buses without public explanation.
He concluded by insisting that Abians deserve clear, verifiable answers on how public funds are being utilised.
