Abia’s N30.2bn Paris Club Refund: Group Backs Otti’s Demand for Accountability

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo

A group of Abia professionals has joined forces with a former bank boss, Mr. Alex Otti, in demanding for accountability on how the N30.2 billion that Abia State received as Paris Club Refund was spent.

The group, Abia Freedom Alliance (AFA), which comprised of technocrats, professionals and businessmen, said yesterday in a statement that the “mismanagement” of the fund as alleged by a former Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Obinna Oriaku, should not be swept under the carpet.

The AFA, in the statement that was jointly signed by Mr. Uzor Nwachukwu, Mr. Joe Ezearu, Mr. Allen Chuks Wogu, Bishop Bernard Nwaogu and Dr. Jude Ohuche, considered it a patriotic duty to join other concerned Abians “in demanding for a detailed explanation from Governor Ikpeazu on how the state government utilised the funds.”

The group said that it was wrong for some aides of Ikpeazu to have resorted to attacking and insulting Otti for “merely demanding for explanations on how the funds were utilised.

“The Abia Freedom Alliance (AFA) notes with regret the distasteful response by the Government of Abia State, to a well thought out statement issued by a prominent citizen of the state, in the person of Dr. Alex Otti, on the government’s mismanagement of the Paris Club Refund to the state, totalling N30.2 billion,”

The group said that it was even more disturbing that Governor Ikpeazu has maintained “a conspiratorial silence” over the years on the controversy surrounding the alleged 50 percent consultancy fees.”

The group commended Otti, a former bank chief and governorship candidate in the state, for speaking the minds of Ndi Abia on the vexed issue leveraging on his experience as financial expert.

“Dr Alex Otti was clear on the critical issues he raised over the mismanagement of the N30.2 billion Paris Club Refund.

“Abia people deserve to know how and what the N30.2 billion paid to their state by the federal government was spent.

“This explanation is important, especially when the issue of civil servants’ unpaid salary arrears, retirees’ pensions and gratuities and provision of critical infrastructures in the state formed the major reasons for the refunds.

“A responsible government would have taken time to ponder and reflect on the concerns raised by Dr. Otti, and then respond by assuring the citizens that the allegations raised by Mr. Oriaku would not be swept under the carpet,” the group stated.