A group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, the Abia Best Interest Association (ABIA), has petitioned multiple anti-corruption agencies and donor organisations over the controversial ₦54 billion purportedly spent on school renovation in the state.
At a press conference in Abuja, an APC chieftain and convener of the group, Eze Chikamnayo (Esq.), presented copies of the petition and alleged that the failure to publish the list, locations, contractors, and pictures of the supposed 51 public school projects—allegedly financed between the first and fourth quarters of 2024 by Governor Alex Otti’s administration—indicates systemic corruption, impunity, lack of transparency, and accountability in governance.
He asserted that despite the significant allocations, and with almost two years into the administration, there is not a single new smart school project in Abia State as claimed by the government.
Chikamnayo said fact-finding visits to many public schools revealed that over 95 percent of them are in a state of severe neglect, with dilapidated buildings, unfenced compounds, and absence of learning and teaching equipment.
He urged anti-graft agencies, civil society organisations, and thought leaders to demand accountability from Otti’s administration. He said, “Already, we have written official letters to the above bodies and other international organisations specialising in basic education, demanding urgent intervention to rescue the state from any attempt by Mr Alex Otti from using education as a conduit pipe for misappropriation of public funds. In the interest of Abia State, Abia children, and generations yet unborn, we have dragged the state government, under Alex Otti-led administration, to all relevant anti-corruption agencies, locally and internationally. We have also written to the National Assembly, UNESCO, World Bank, Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Education, and indeed watchdogs like Transparency International, Amnesty International and others for urgent intervention and sanctions where necessary.”
Chikamnayo further stated that for asking for pictures, names, and locations of the renovated schools, the governor, during his last press briefing, called him names and threatened his life and the group. However, he vowed not to be intimidated in the course of demanding accountability.
The APC group also challenged the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, urging him to stop his nationwide advocacy for transparency and accountability unless he addresses similar issues within his party’s state government. “It means that Labour Party is not a party to be trusted with the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So we are saying that Mr Alex Otti must come clean and we are challenging Mr Peter Obi to stop, immediately, all the noise-making across this country about transparency and accountability because charity ought to begin at home. Let Mr Peter Obi take Mr Alex Otti into one small room and give him sufficient tutelage and lecture on transparency and accountability.”
