Ikonne Challenges Otti Over N54bn Abia School Renovation Controversy

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has come under fire from All Progressives Congress (APC) leader, Prince Paul Ikonne, who accused him of contradicting himself over the alleged N54 billion spent on school renovations.

The dispute follows Otti’s denial at his monthly media conference, where he dismissed reports of missing funds as baseless and a misrepresentation of budgetary procedures.

Responding in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Ujo Justice, Ikonne questioned why a governor who touts the expertise of “seasoned accountants” would dismiss the matter as an error while state budget performance records reportedly show otherwise.

He recalled that about ₦18 billion had previously been announced for school renovations “with nothing to show for it,” suggesting a pattern of unaccounted spending.

Ikonne cited state budget performance documents and media reports indicating that Abia spent ₦54.066 billion on public school renovations and rehabilitation in the last quarter of 2024 alone, with a total of ₦58.323 billion recorded for the fiscal year.

He argued that Otti’s claim that only ₦2.1 billion was spent on schools contradicts his own administration’s published budget records.

An independent review of the 2024 approved budget, Ikonne added, showed ₦64.7 billion earmarked for renovating and modeling 51 schools, averaging ₦1.26 billion per school.

“This data makes it clear that the governor is either deliberately misleading Abians or is unaware of what his government is signing off on,” Ikonne said.

Ikonne challenged Otti to provide verifiable proof of the schools renovated:

“Budgets are estimates, but expenditures are facts. The documents clearly show ₦54 billion was reported as spent between October and December 2024. If he disputes this, let him publish the schools. Abians are not asking for excuses, we are asking for evidence,” he insisted.