Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Abia State Government has dismissed reports alleging that it budgeted N250 million for the purchase of a photocopier at its Lagos Liaison Office, describing the claim as false and the result of a formatting error in the 2026 budget document.
In a statement issued at the weekend, the Ministry of Budget and Planning clarified that only N12 million was approved for the procurement of a photocopier and other sundry office equipment, not N250 million as reported by some media outlets.
According to the Ministry, the controversy arose from a formatting misalignment that occurred during the final compilation of the voluminous 2026 Appropriation Document.
“The claim that Abia State budgeted N250 million for a photocopier is mischievous and completely false,” the statement said, urging the public to disregard the misleading reports.
The Ministry reaffirmed that the administration of Governor Alex Otti remains committed to transparency, accountability, and prudent management of public funds, stressing that it would not tolerate wasteful spending.
Providing further clarification, the Ministry disclosed that the 2026 budget was published on its official website on January 31, 2026, in line with the state’s transparency policy.
It explained that on Page 60 of the budget document, a total of N210,831,142 was allocated for the rehabilitation of residential buildings and staff quarters at the Lagos Liaison Office, while N12 million was earmarked for the procurement of one Sharp photocopier and other office equipment.
However, on Page 289, a technical layout error caused figures to be wrongly aligned with project descriptions, thereby creating the false impression that N250 million was allocated for a photocopier.
“The N250 million figure seen beside the photocopier item belongs to a different and larger capital project elsewhere in the budget. The provision for the photocopier remains N12 million. There was no inflation of cost,” the Ministry clarified.
The statement further explained that budgetary provisions are estimates and spending ceilings, and do not amount to automatic release of funds.
It added that all procurements must pass through strict approval processes, including the Departmental and Ministerial Tenders Boards, as well as final clearance by the Finance and General Purpose Committee (F&GPC) and the State Executive Council.
“These layers of scrutiny ensure value for money and transparency. Any procurement that fails to meet due process requirements will not be approved, irrespective of budgetary provision,” the statement concluded.
