UMUAHIA — An official audit of Abia State government finances for the year 2023 according to Premium Times has uncovered a staggering N1.86 billion in alleged fraud, looting, and irregular expenditures by state officials with funds traced directly into the private bank accounts of civil servants and a serving commissioner.
The 88-page report, released in May 2024, was prepared by the state auditor-general and covers financial transactions between January and December 2023. It is titled the report of the auditor-general for the state on the financial statements and accounts of Abia State Government for the year ended 31 December 2023.
The year under review straddled two administrations. Former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of the PDP governed for five months within the period, while his successor, Governor Alex Otti of the Labour Party, who took over on 29 May 2023, governed for the remaining seven months.
Of the N1.86 billion flagged, a total of N1,782,419,567 was either unaccounted for outright or disbursed without following due process. A further N79,461,000 was allegedly diverted into private accounts of individuals working within the state government.
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The alleged fraud involved the award of contracts without due process, payments that circumvented procurement rules, purchases not delivered, tax evasion, non-execution of awarded contracts, unvouched payments, and unremitted tax deductions. At least 54 queried transactions were counted across affected ministries, departments, and agencies including various high and magistrate courts, the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission, the Ministry of Petroleum, Abia State Polytechnic Aba, and several colleges and secondary schools.
The most politically charged finding concerns Environment Commissioner Philemon Asonye. The report stated that N41,621,000 was lodged into his private account, purportedly for the construction of the Abia Industrial and Innovative Park in Ukwa West Local Government Area, a practice the auditor-general said contravened Financial Regulation 809 of Abia State.
Mr Asonye, appointed by Governor Otti in July 2023 and still serving as commissioner at the time of this report, confirmed the payment but insisted the funds were used legitimately for community consultations related to the project. He declined to directly address the breach of financial regulations, repeatedly directing questions back to the auditor-general.
The auditor-general said she had written separately to the heads of all affected institutions requesting remedial action, but had received no response as of the time the report was finalised. The findings now place significant accountability questions before the Otti administration, which came to power on a platform of financial transparency and zero tolerance for corruption in one of Nigeria’s most economically challenged states.
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