Close Menu
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • News
  • Interviews
  • Events
  • Fashion
  • Article
  • Lifestyle
  • Movies & TV
  • Music
What's Hot

“31 years in Nollywood, I never slept with any producer or director” – Veteran Actress Thelma Chukwunwem

FG to sell 753 duplexes seized from Emefiele to Nigerians

Lagos government says viral tenancy law amendment is fabricated

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • News
  • Interviews
  • Events
  • Fashion
  • Article
  • Lifestyle
  • Movies & TV
  • Music
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
DAILY BLAST
Contact
HOT TOPICS
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • News
  • Interviews
  • Events
  • Fashion
  • Article
  • Lifestyle
  • Movies & TV
  • Music
DAILY BLAST
You are at:Home»Politics»My predecessor committed fraud, commissioned uncompleted government house – Alex Otti
Politics

My predecessor committed fraud, commissioned uncompleted government house – Alex Otti

DailyblastBy DailyblastMay 2, 20250945 Mins Read
Share WhatsApp Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email Telegram Copy Link
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email WhatsApp Copy Link

Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, has accused his predecessor, Okezie Ikpeazu, of committing fraud by commissioning an uncompleted Government House, describing it as one of several deceptive legacies his government has had to correct since assuming office.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE News, Governor Otti said that while the previous administration had ceremoniously opened the new Government House, what he met on ground upon taking office told a different story.

Related posts:

  1. Our government will unite, rather than divide Abia – Alex Otti
  2. Governor Otti reveals how predecessor, Ikpeazu transferred N10billion airport funds into 32 individual accounts
  3. Photos of mud house commissioned in Tanzania
  4. Geometric Power to be commissioned on Monday, February 26, 2024

“What happened was that my predecessor commissioned an uncompleted building on the 28th of May. And it is supposed to be new government house. So what did he do? He completed the ground floor, finished it very well, put Italian furniture in the place, painted it, and commissioned it.

“So after the inauguration, I went there. When I looked at the ground floor, I was very happy. But as I went to the first and second floor, they were not even plastered. No sanitary fittings, nothing. So that’s fraud.”

When asked if he was going to probe his predecessor, Otti said, “You have only four years. And when you get into some of these distractive things, you lose focus. I have too much work to do. Of course, we tried to, we called in KPMG at some point. And I’m sure you must have seen that, where they looked at one of the accounts. And they found that some 10 billion Naira was drawn for a non-existent airport. So that’s the only one that we are saying, bring back our money or give us the airport.”

“Probing is a waste of my time,” he added.

Throughout the interview, Otti maintained that his government had not borrowed a single kobo since assuming office—despite inheriting a debt profile of ₦192 billion, including outstanding salaries, pensions, and debts owed to government parastatals.

He said, “Let me tell you something. I just saw the numbers from DMO, that in 2023, they said we inherited a debt profile of $138 billion. But as at the end of last year, we reduced it to $66 billion. We have not borrowed one dime.”

However, Otti revealed that the actual debt was more than what the DMO recorded, saying, “Let me also go back and let you know that by the time we looked at the books and the numbers, we found that it was actually N192 billion that my predecessor handed over to me as debt.”

“DMO didn’t include pension areas, which we cleared off. They didn’t include salary areas, which we also paid. They didn’t include all the parastatals that were being owed, including Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic and then the medical personnel,” he explained.

“So those we have taken care of. And today I can tell you the state is running very, very well. Don’t bother yourself about where I’m going to find the money because that’s my own area,”

Addressing how he cleared of Pension arrears Otti said, “First of all, pension arrears, some of them we are, talking of numbers of 45 to 56 months, people were not paid. So we sat down with the pensioners and we said, okay, you are being owed this much. We need to take them out. So the leadership of pensioners sat down with us for a very long period of time, and we agreed. And by Easter last year, we paid a total of about $10 billion to pensioners to clear all the arrears.”

On the state of healthcare, he noted that the controversial multi-specialist hospital in Aba was not abandoned as alleged but repurposed as a general hospital. He explained that the nearby Abia State University Teaching Hospital had regained full accreditation under his watch and now fills the specialist role.

He explained, “The specialist hospital was not abandoned. It’s actually working. What we did was to convert it to a general hospital because it’s in Aba. You have the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, which in itself functions as a specialist hospital, also in Aba. So you don’t need to set up another specialist hospital in Aba.

“So what happened before my time is that the Abia State University Teaching Hospital lost accreditation in 2021. And the reason for that was that my predecessors abandoned the university. The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria came back in 2022 and reaffirmed the loss of accreditation. So when we came up in 2023, I gave my people six months to fix that teaching hospital, get the necessary personnel, and ensure that the accreditation was restored.

“To the glory of God, in December 2023, it was dramatic when the registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria came here. He said by the time he got to the teaching hospital, he was almost missing his way. And he thought the driver was taking him somewhere. And so the accreditation was restored in 2023. So everything that you require in the teaching hospital is there right now.”

“The idea is to have specialist hospitals in every senatorial zone of the state,” the governor added.

Governor Otti then reaffirmed his commitment to the people of Abia State, as he said, “Nobody is more important to me than Abia people and God.”

Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi

Post Views: 395
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email Telegram WhatsApp Copy Link
Previous ArticleThey no give us award but God give us grace” – Portable claps back at Headies
Next Article I won’t lie about my path to motherhood’ – Chimamanda Adichie on surrogacy
Dailyblast

Related Posts

Lagos government says viral tenancy law amendment is fabricated

May 25, 2025

NNPCL shuts down Port Harcourt refinery

May 25, 2025

I may not contest again after 2027, says Obi

May 25, 2025
Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Recent Posts
  • “31 years in Nollywood, I never slept with any producer or director” – Veteran Actress Thelma Chukwunwem May 25, 2025
  • FG to sell 753 duplexes seized from Emefiele to Nigerians May 25, 2025
  • Lagos government says viral tenancy law amendment is fabricated May 25, 2025
  • NNPCL shuts down Port Harcourt refinery May 25, 2025
  • Police extradite Nigerian fugitive from UAE Over $307,500 fraud May 25, 2025
Top Posts

(Video) female prison officer filmed having sex with inmate in London prison

June 29, 20241,186 Views

UNN suspends lecturer for allegedly impregnating four students

February 17, 20253,071 Views

(Photos) Blood bath in Ihiala as gunmen kill billionaire businessman, seven others while preparing for mother’s burial

January 2, 2025596 Views
Latest Reviews
Most Popular

(Video) female prison officer filmed having sex with inmate in London prison

June 29, 20241,186 Views

UNN suspends lecturer for allegedly impregnating four students

February 17, 20253,071 Views

(Photos) Blood bath in Ihiala as gunmen kill billionaire businessman, seven others while preparing for mother’s burial

January 2, 2025596 Views
Our Picks

“31 years in Nollywood, I never slept with any producer or director” – Veteran Actress Thelma Chukwunwem

FG to sell 753 duplexes seized from Emefiele to Nigerians

Lagos government says viral tenancy law amendment is fabricated

© 2025
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.