Ekeke is the Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Alex Chioma Otti of Abia State

This image has continued to move from timeline to timeline. But the comparison is not particularly fair. The Alex Otti government has since addressed it on radio. But it appears many on Twitter did not follow the explanations. I will go ahead and speak to it now.

No two Govt Houses are the same. Each has their peculiarities. What we inherited in Abia was a Govt House with over 700 staff. We reduced them to over 500 (through reposting). But the overhead and personnel costs of the 700+ personnel are part of the figures you’re seeing.

You’ve seen images of really decayed roads all over Abia State, but that decay permeated every structure of the state, including govt offices. We have been able to renovate some offices, e.g. the political block that houses many appointees, the protocol building, the banquet hall.

The SSG’s official residence, the Chief Judge’s and the Chief of Staff’s were all in terrible shapes and had to be renovated. In fact, the Chief Judge’s was unlivable. And the renovation is still ongoing. She is putting up in another apartment until hers is completed.

The renovations also came with furniture, as the last administration carted away most of the furniture in their offices when they were leaving. Shortly upon assumption of office, Gov Alex Otti set up a judicial panel of enquiry to recover all stolen Govt assets.

The Commissioners’ Quarters was totally abandoned. It was overgrown with weeds. It was built with govt funds and the Alex Otti administration insisted that commissioners would live there. Govt was not going to give them money to go rent apartments. But it also had to be renovated.

Further, a lot of agencies are directly under the Govt House, instead of ministries. Examples are:
a. Fire Service,
b. Homeland Security (used to be a full fledged ministry but now an agency,
c. State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA),
d. Umuahia Capital Development Authority,
e. ASOPADEC,
f. ASEPA,
g. Abia State Orientation Agency (ABSOA),
h. Infrastructural Promotion Agency,
i. Public Procurement Bureau,
j. Marketing & Quality Control Agency,
k. Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ABSAA),
l. ABSEDA and others.

The costs of running these agencies, including personnel, overhead & capital were charged to Govt House. I am not sure that Ebonyi State bought 20 Toyota Hilux trucks for any special military operation. But Abia did for “Operation Crush”. That cost is part of the report.

The agencies above were what we inherited. Gov. Alex Otti earlier constituted a civil service reform committee to look at these issues and advise govt on how to rationalize them. They are done with the work and will be submitting their report any moment from now.

Worthy of note is that the immediate past govt stopped paying salaries in February. From June, our first month in office, Gov Otti insisted on paying twice every month to clear the March-May backlog. Those payments - some of which were to the Govt House staff - are in this report.

On the one reported as “propaganda”, the Ministry of Information is a full fledged ministry. In fact, the current Information Ministry used to be 3 ministries under the past administration. Gov Otti merged them. Under the ministry is the Abia Broadcasting Corporation (BCA), Abia Newspaper and the State Tourism Board. Each has its staff. The cost of running these is in the report you’re seeing. It was not for propaganda. The Alex Otti administration is fortunate to be loved by the people and does not spend money pushing narratives.

Abians themselves, who appreciate the hardworking government, help us tell our story. In summary, what you’re seeing is like a movie trailer. It does not show the entire picture. The entire picture will show after an audited full year financial statement.

Thanks to all of you who called/texted to seek clarifications. Ours is a govt that is fully committed to making life better for the people. His Excellency Dr. Otti is actually his own critic. He’ll never do anything to shortchange the people who entrusted him with their mandate.

This thread was posted before I saw a sensational tweet by Sahara Reporters, claiming the govt spent N927m on food.

That post is false. Even the document SR published captured meals at N223.3m.

But I will urge everyone to await the govt’s official response on that.

Thank you

Chinedu Ekeke

He should represent labour party well and stop embarrassing us

I laf at the foolishness of ipob obidient igbos.

I thank the spokesperson he did not deny the claims that is enough take away for me.

I don't see any justifiable explanations here.
It is a known fact that governors steal from all
these bogus overhead costs/budgets.I pity d
gov of Abia.He needs to truly commit himself
to not stealing a kobo from the treasury.If he
carry out some projects and steals just like
popularly elected governors before, he is going to be ridiculed.His supporters have presented him as a man that can do no wrong.

Too long. Somebody shld summarize

They are explaining, which shows accountability.

Who will explain for Sanwolu "Fan and perfume"?

They can't because they have been paid to be Idiots.

nothing to justify

What’s the explanation for eating N1billion food in 3 months?

God1000:
He should represent labour party well and stop embarrassing us

Gbam,we are not like agbado miscreants that even defend the urinating machine when he does something bad.see the mummified pigs below

I said it would be justified.

Abia State has set the standard of explanation for all the other state governments.

All the agencies of the government are under the budget of the government House.


We continue again with 2025 budget, when we ignorantly or partisanly criticize, and those in power "explain".

What is evident is that budgeting should not be worded like shorthand.

Implicit details should be made explicit for every illiterate to understand so they do not waste their energy criticising.

Obaofpigs:
They are explaining, which shows accountability.

Who will explain for Sanwolu Fan and perfume?

They can't because they have been paid to be Idiots.

They will explain too.

Is it ever hard to explain?

Will the explanation from the Lagos State Government not show accountability too as you have accepted it from Otti?

Are you not the very idiot you are projecting towards others?

You are the very idiot of the Abia State explanation, while others would be the idiots of the Lagos State explanation.

Then the cycle continues for the budget of 2025.

pricklewane:
I laf at the foolishness of ipob obidient igbos.

I thank the spokesperson he did not deny the claims that is enough take away for me.

Shut up batidiot,obidients criticize and call their own to order.But what about you pigs?you even eat their excreta.You defend Ebola and APC government blindly.

The outrage is about money for food, not the entire government house expenditure.

I honestly don't care because it is not my state. Maybe (just maybe) I will care when the thief follows his lord and master (the bigger thief) to campaign during the next election.

Bunch of thieves parading themselves as the Messiahs of the criminal enterprise called Nigeria

PDP, APC, LP, Nigerians.

All the same.

pricklewane:
I laf at the foolishness of ipob obidient igbos.

I thank the spokesperson he did not deny the claims that is enough take away for me.

Obidients call out their own to order

Have you ever call out your governor and most especially Tinubu for all his calamitous economic policies so far and also for approving billions of tax payers money to an office of the first lady not recognized by law

PIGs crying is called OINKing.

Cry Blood

Throwback:


They will explain too.

Is it ever hard to explain?

Will the explanation from the Lagos State Government not show accountability too as you have accepted it from Otti?

Are you not the very idiot you are projecting towards others?

You are the very idiot of the Abia State explanation, while others would be the idiots of the Lagos State explanation.

Then the cycle continues for the budget of 2025.

Further, a lot of agencies are directly under the Govt House, instead of ministries. Examples are:
a. Fire Service,
b. Homeland Security (used to be a full fledged ministry but now an agency,
c. State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA),
d. Umuahia Capital Development Authority,
e. ASOPADEC,
f. ASEPA,
g. Abia State Orientation Agency (ABSOA),
h. Infrastructural Promotion Agency,
i. Public Procurement Bureau,
j. Marketing & Quality Control Agency,
k. Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ABSAA),
l. ABSEDA and others.

They are all under the governor's office and they get paid by the governor's office.


When looters are determined to loot, they come up with the most retarded schemes and excuses

Bravo to LP.👍🙌🙌

This is how PETER OBI'S Presidency will be!

ACCOUNTABILITY, EQUITY and Allowing CRITICISMS from Citizens!🤨🙂

Not the APC/Buhari/Tinubu govt that revels in Cheap LIES, PROPAGANDA AND SUPPRESSION of the Truth!😒😕😕

But he is replying because his Principal the Governor was 'called out'

When are you calling out Sanwolu and hamzat for their Billion naira expenditure on perfumes and recharge fans?

See how Worthless your foolishness is...

Go and face Sanwolu and hamzat. Can you? If you try it your salary will end instantly and hUnger will finish you...spits

plaindealer:



They are all under the governor's office and they get paid by the governor's office.


When looters are determined to loot, they come up with the most retarded schemes and excuses

Bobloco:


Obidients call out their own to order

But have you ever call out your governor and most especially Tinubu for all his calamitous economic policies so far and also for approving billions of tax payers money to an office of the first lady not recognized by law

Don't mind these APC DingBATS!😏😏

Rufai Oseni (Known to be a Peter Obi supporter) was the FIRST to Criticize Gov. Otti.🤨🙂🙂

Ask them If any APC faithful criticized Buhari's USELESS policies throughout his 8yrs Misadventure!😒😒

The Likes of Wole Soyinka kept MUTE but Would be Barking if a Southern Christian is President!🙁🙁🙂

If I go to visit governor at least him suppose offer me something.

And if he offers me, who am I to reject.

Should I come back with an empty stomach?

Waiting for Sanwolu defense of spending billions on perfume. It will be like 'Lagosions have body odour, this body odour contributes to climate change. If we spray perfume, it will reduce the body odour and help in fighting climate change, of which Lagos being a costal state will have less flooding from ocean'.

looking at what's going on in the political scene of this country, u are left with no option then to conclude this country is irredeemable.

Omo, I don't give a f**k about how any igbo governor spend the state money. It's non of my f**king business. If them like, they can make the whole SE look like a refuge camp, it's non of my business. In the spirit of love, we in the SW will keep welcoming the refugees from the SE with open arms. We have always been doing that and we will always be doing it so they can live

Ok

I heard one governor is spending 3 billion on perfume

So you expect contrary views...

God1000:
He should represent labour party well and stop embarrassing us

He's really embarrassing us

Una go explain tire