— Abia Governor Rebuts Deputy Speaker’s Claims Over State Finances
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has hit back at the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, accusing him of spreading falsehoods and displaying “an embarrassing level of economic ignorance.”
Otti’s response followed Kalu’s recent public remarks in which the lawmaker allegedly compared the governor’s performance unfavourably with that of his predecessors, while claiming that Abia State receives ₦38 billion monthly from the Federation Account.
In a statement released on Sunday and signed by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, the Abia State Government dismissed Kalu’s comments as “baseless, misleading, and politically motivated.”
According to the statement, Abia’s total allocation from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) for the first eight months of 2025 — including local government funds — stood at ₦125 billion, far below the ₦38 billion monthly figure quoted by the Deputy Speaker.
“It is unfortunate that a lawmaker of Kalu’s standing could make such careless and inaccurate claims,” Ekeoma said. “For someone in his position, it is disappointing to ignore basic economic realities. A project that cost ₦1 billion in 2022 now costs nearly ₦4 billion today due to the naira’s drastic depreciation and inflation.”
The statement noted that Governor Otti’s administration has maintained transparency and accountability despite harsh economic conditions. It also cited several reforms, including the increase of Abia’s minimum wage from ₦30,000 to between ₦70,000 and ₦74,000, and the verified expansion of the state workforce from about 31,000 to over 67,000 employees, excluding more than 5,000 newly hired teachers.
Ekeoma accused the Deputy Speaker of selective criticism, pointing out that Kalu remained silent during years of “injustice and neglect” suffered by Abia workers under previous administrations. He also questioned Kalu’s decision to omit any reference to the tenure of his “former boss and benefactor,” Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, when comparing Otti to former governors T.A. Orji and Okezie Ikpeazu.
“It is ironic that Kalu suddenly found his voice. Leadership is about service, not showmanship,” Ekeoma stated.
He further urged the Deputy Speaker to “focus on his legislative duties” and “seek proper understanding of governance and fiscal realities” before making public comments.
“The crowd that welcomed Governor Otti and President Tinubu’s representative in Aba were not rented. They are ordinary Abians who appreciate a new direction in leadership,” the statement added.
Ekeoma concluded by advising Kalu to “relax, take a cold drink, and wait for campaign season,” reiterating that the Otti administration remains committed to delivering good governance to the people of Abia State.
