A pro-All Progressives Congress (APC) group in Abia State has petitioned multiple anti-graft agencies and international watchdogs over the alleged mismanagement of N54 billion purportedly spent on school renovation projects by Governor Alex Otti’s administration.
The group, known as the Abia Best Interest Association (ABIA), said it had written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the National Assembly, the Federal Ministry of Finance, UNESCO, the World Bank, and Transparency International to demand investigations.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the group’s convener, Barrister Eze Chikamnayo, accused the Otti-led government of “systemic corruption, impunity, lack of transparency and accountability.”
He said, despite reports of massive allocations between the first and fourth quarters of 2024, no visible smart school projects exist across the state.
“It is alarming that with over N54 billion reportedly disbursed, almost two years into this administration, there is no single new smart school in Abia. Our fact-finding missions show that more than 95 percent of schools remain in dire neglect, with dilapidated buildings, no fences, and inadequate learning facilities,” Chikamnayo alleged.
The group insisted that the state government must publish the names, contractors, locations, and pictures of the 51 schools reportedly renovated.
“Education must not become a conduit pipe for misappropriation,” Chikamnayo warned, adding that the association would not be intimidated despite claims of threats from the governor.
In a political twist, the APC group challenged Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to prove his party’s commitment to transparency by calling Otti to order.
“Charity begins at home. Mr Obi must stop the endless noise about transparency until he ensures his party’s governor practises it in Abia,” Chikamnayo declared.
The petitions, the group said, aim to secure urgent intervention and possible sanctions against the Abia government to safeguard education funds for future generations.
