The Abia State government has issued a clarification statement in response to a report by Sahara Reporters that the Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, spent N927 million on food for the government house in three months.

Nedu Ekeke, the deputy chief of staff to the governor, issued the statement to address the backlash and provide context to the spending figures.

According to the statement, the government clarified that the reported spending was not limited to food expenses but included various aspects such as personnel costs, renovations, and the operation of multiple agencies directly under the government house. “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 statement said.

The government emphasized the need to consider the peculiarities of each government house, and in the case of Abia State, it inherited a facility with over 700 staff, which was later reduced to over 500.

The statement highlighted the renovations undertaken in government offices, including the political block, protocol building, banquet hall, and official residences like the SSG’s, Chief judge’s, and Chief of Staff’s, which were in poor conditions. The government also mentioned the need for new furniture due to the removal of furniture by the previous administration.

Additionally, the statement explained that several agencies operate directly under the government house, contributing to the overall operational costs.

The clarification also addressed the issue of salaries, highlighting that the immediate past government stopped paying salaries in February, and the new administration under Governor Otti insisted on paying twice every month to clear the backlog from March to May.

Regarding the reported spending on information and propaganda, the government stated that the Ministry of Information is a full-fledged ministry, responsible for managing entities like the Abia Broadcasting Corporation (BCA), Abia Newspaper, and the State Tourism Board. The costs associated with running these entities were included in the reported figures.


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.

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 government’s official response on that.

Thanks to all of you who called/texted to seek clarification. 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.

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So where’s the rumor coming from ?