Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
A group under the aegis of Abians for Sustenance of Good Governance (ASGG) has cautioned the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, against allegedly attempting to pit President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against Governor Alex Otti for selfish political reasons.
Addressing a press conference in Umuahia, the group condemned the Deputy Speaker’s recent remarks suggesting that President Tinubu — and not Governor Otti — should be credited for the ongoing developments in Abia State because “it is the President who releases the funds to the Governor.”
The group dismissed Kalu’s position as misleading and politically motivated, insisting that the Deputy Speaker’s comments were aimed at discrediting the Otti administration.
Leader of the group and former Commissioner for Youths, Hon. Dannie Ubani, who read out the group’s position, accused Kalu of “peddling misinformation with the intent to misrepresent facts and sow discord.”
He decried what he described as “unstatesmanly outbursts from some quarters, especially the Deputy Speaker, portraying the Abia State Government as prodigal and profligate in the management of the state’s resources.”
ASGG also faulted Kalu’s claim that Abia receives between ₦38 billion and ₦40 billion monthly as federal allocation, saying the figure was not supported by facts.
“These are heinous allegations that demand interrogation by all well-informed and patriotic Abians,” the group stated.
Citing data from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), Ubani said:
“We have interrogated the assertion that Abia appropriates an average of ₦38 billion every 28 days. The statistical data available from FAAC shows that the total accruals to Abia State in the last FAAC update stood at ₦98.12 billion, translating to a monthly average of ₦14 billion — far from the ₦38 billion being bandied about by people who, by virtue of their positions, should know better.”
He warned that “inciting a non-existent war of attrition between the Governor and the President, in a vain attempt to advance selfish political ambitions, is unpatriotic and will be stoutly resisted by Ndi Abia.”
Ubani further cautioned against “trumpeting imaginary figures as a way of setting up the Governor against the people,” describing it as “cowardly and capable of igniting avoidable tension.”
He said: “A situation where supposed statesmen deliberately fan the embers of conflict between the state government and the presidency for selfish political gain, at the expense of peace and stability, should be condemned by all.”
The group urged political actors in the state to sheath their swords and allow governance to thrive, warning that unnecessary politicking could derail the progress being made under the current administration.
ASGG commended Governor Otti for what it described as his “unprecedented developmental strides,” vowing to resist any attempt “to return the state to Egypt.”
Ubani added: “A Governor who has restored public confidence through the implementation of policies that have catalyzed socio-economic growth cannot be justifiably accused of financial malfeasance.”
He noted that “unlike the rottenness and hopelessness of the past, all facets of Abia public life now reflect visible and undeniable progress,” including the reduction of the state’s debt burden from ₦138 billion as of May 29, 2023, to about ₦72 billion currently.
The group finally appealed to politicians to “put the state’s peace and progress above selfish interests” and avoid actions capable of setting Abia on fire.
