Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has lamented over the state’s situation upon assuming office last May, stating that his predecessor left in a very bad shape.
Otti said this on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday.
He mentioned that although he didn’t oppose borrowing entirely, his main concern stemmed from the lack of transparency regarding the utilization of funds borrowed by his predecessor.
When questioned about the state’s condition upon assuming office, he responded, “Absolutely, very, very bad shape, but I am not complaining. I have folded my sleeves and I am just dealing with what I met here.
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He continued, “My worry is not really about debt, it is about what the debt is used for. If you inherited a debt profile of N34.4 billion by May 29, 2015 and eight years later you ran that debt to about N192.2 billion; I really can’t see anything that you have done with the money, salaries were not being paid, pensioners were being owed, infrastructure was decaying, the place go into ruins, schools were run down completely, hospitals were dilapidated.
“So, the issue is where did the money go? If I am going to take debt, it is going to go into regenerative expenditure. But when you are taking loans and you are running the state into debt, just for consumption, you are not investing in the state; you are not paying salaries; that’s actually what I was talking about.”
Regarding tax collection, Governor Otti stated that his administration has revamped the system by eliminating unauthorized individuals collecting taxes on behalf of the government.
“As a government, we do not engage with unofficial agents, and we have explicitly stated that individuals in Ariaria market must make payments through designated banks. Cash transactions are no longer accepted. Any revenue must be paid through the banks,” he explained.
Otti also reiterated his commitment to delivering on the rail project, one of his campaign promises. He mentioned ongoing discussions with a Chinese company, expressing optimism about the progress of these negotiations.
