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Abia Forensic Report: Governor Alex Otti should publish the report now
By John Okiyi Kalu
After former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s team busted the brazen lies about Abia Airport project with facts and documents, Governor Alex Otti is now making new false claims on bailout fund and Paris Club refund instead of publishing the forensic audit that allegedly found, among other things, that N10b was paid for a non existent Abia Airport project. He should bring it on because facts are still sacred.
The Independent Corrupt Practices Commisison (ICPC) and members of Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) applauded Dr Ikpeazu for managing those funds transparently. There are also banking and other documentary proof on the application of the funds. Leaders of organized labour in Abia State were actually members of the committee that recommended how the funds were shared and should be ready to give evidence if called upon. The ICPC report on the use/application of the bailout funds is available to all interested Nigerian.
In Ikpeazu’s time as Governor, he was not only bold enough to announce receipts of bailout/Paris Club refund and the figures to Abia public, he also had organized labor making recommendations, and actually supervised the disbursement
Governor Alex Otti, should be compelled to publish his so called forensic audit report now, and unbiased Nigerians along with the Ikpeazu team are still insisting he does that while others compile and publish their own report on Otti’s administration, from Signature Bank through Abia Cryptocurrencies to alleged contract inflations. This is now more important and urgent because excerpts from the recently released quarterly financial report published by the Otti administration showed entries such as over N3billion naira spent on “research & development”, billions of naira collected as “security votes” and other tears inducing entries.
If Governor Alex Otti ever proves that Dr Ikpeazu paid N10bn for any airport project, I will leave all social media platforms permanently. The simple proof is to follow the money and identify where it landed with airport project or airport contractor.
On my own, I will soon publish documents available to me to prove decisively that the proposed Abia airport project was canceled by the state executive council, I was a member of, on Friday, 13th of November 2020.
Let’s entrench transparency in Abia State rather than celebrate partisan witch hunt by a Governor who obviously is seeking to use the media and international platforms to smear his predecessor.
Meanwhile, Governor Alex Otti and his government should immediately restore all the archieved financial reports published from 2016 to 2023 by the Ikpeazu administration via the state website, abiastate.gov.ng. It is fraudulent to remove the public data and I wish to call on SFTAS, Federal Ministry of Finance, anti-corruption and data management agencies in Nigeria to rise up to this occasion and ask Governor Otti and his government why those documents were removed.
It is noteworthy that the Ikpeazu administration was the first ever in Abia State to publish quarterly and annual financial reports via newspapers and the state website.
Contrary to the earlier boasts of Governor Otti’s media minions, he is yet to publish the so called forensic report by “one of the top 3 audit firms in the world” for the auditees to respond publicly after being accused publicly in faraway USA. Why is he afraid of publishing a document he made copious public reference to in faraway United States of America if he is sure of his facts?
Nigerians also deserve to see that report as well as know how much was paid from Abia State account to the “reputable” auditors that dared prepare and release an audit report without seeking any response from the auditees.
Why is it taking so long to publish a report Governor Alex Otti claimed was with him and made public reference to? When will the world learn of the companies that allegedly collected billions of tax payers money from Abia State without doing any work? Why is the Governor and his government protecting the identity of supposed fraudulent companies but hastened to accuse his predecessor?
It is crass and unacceptable to employ the resources of a state to engage in media trial of your predecessor without offering documents you have publicly cited as evidence. Bring it on Governor Alex Otti, publish the audit document or at least go back to John Hopkins University and apologize to Dr Okezie Ikpeazu.
Abians deserve to know who collected N10bn for airport and did nothing. They also deserve to know the construction companies that allegedly collected tens of billions of naira from Ikpeazu administration and did nothing. We already know that as Governor Dr Ikpeazu did not sign any cheque and have made clear that the allegation of paying N10b for Airport project is false. So we are interested in finding out if there are people in his adminstration that did what Governor Otti alleged so that such people can be punished.
If Governor Alex Otti is afraid of naming supposed criminally complicit individuals and the contracting companies that received the money why did he make public allegations to smear the image of Nigeria and Abia State before the international community? It is my view that the Presidency and NGF should consider a strong public reprimand for Governor Otti to prevent future bitter Governors from rubbishing the country’s image abroad.
It is already more than one week since Governor Alex Otti made his spurious allegations in USA and Abians should not be distracted by any forensic “premium whisky” video released by his own team in USA from continuing to ask for the audit report until Otti makes it public. Governor Otti obviously has the highest media and publicity budget in the south east region, ostensibly for propagating bitter lies against his predecessor and others who are opposed to his make-believe style of governance, yet that should not be enough to allow him get away with needless economic sabotage against Nigeria.
Unfortunately, those who believe the allegations made by Governor Otti did so because they rightly expected a Governor not to lie so brazenly in public, but just like in the past, this forensic tale by moonlight will expose the real Otti after he must have published the report and his predecessor’s response is also made public. Dr Ikpeazu apparently does not have anything to hide hence his well documented demand that the audit report be made public for him to read and respond accordingly.
Governor Otti knows he has been boxed in, just like he was when he lied that Ikpeazu administration did not invest in Aba IPP of Geometric Company, because he can not deny that he told the world about N10bn being spent on an airport project in Abia State.
Mr Otti must also know that leadership is different from skit making and content creation for public applause as he obviously did with his artificial intelligence joke. He made a weighty allegation that impugned on someone’s hard-earned reputation, demarketed Nigeria at a global stage and the onus is on him to prove it, or at least, make the report public for those concerned to give an equally very public response with or without availability of “premium whisky.”
No matter how cheap talk is,Governor Otti should not use it to malign others. Abians are still waiting for the audit report!
Kalu (Nwandugbom JOK), was former Commissioner For Information, Trade & Investment, Abia State.
Anybody with credible information on the wrong use of its trucks will be richer by a whopping N500,000, going by signals coming from Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) – an initiative to encourage whistleblower to report sharp practices within its operations.
The company, which said the move is part of efforts to curb unauthorised haulage activities and protect the integrity of its nationwide logistics operations, encouraged the public to report any suspected cases of its trucks being used to transport unauthorised goods or passengers.
The conglomerate in a statement on Sunday, reiterating it consistent warning that only approved products were permitted to be conveyed by trucks belonging to its subsidiaries, maintained that Dangote Cement trucks are authorised to transport only cement, limestone, high-grade gypsum, coal and clinker, Dangote Sugar Refinery trucks, to sugar products while those of NASCON Allied Industries were designated for Dangote Salt and DanQ Seasoning products.
Part of the statement, read: “Dangote Packaging vehicles are to carry bags and packaging materials, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals trucks are approved for polypropylene products, while Dangote Fertiliser Limited vehicles are authorised to transport urea fertilizer.
“Anyone with verifiable information that leads to the arrest of persons involved in illegal haulage activities or the recovery of unauthorized goods transported on Dangote trucks will receive a cash reward of Five Hundred Thousand Naira.”
In the programme, whistleblowers would be required to to provide details such as the truck type, registration plate number, cab number, location, description of the goods being transported, colour of the vehicle, and photographs where possible, to aid investigations through dedicated hotlines across its operations to receive reports of illegal haulage activities.
Stating that law enforcement agencies, including the police, have been authorised to arrest drivers found using Dangote trucks for unauthorised commercial haulage, the company reiterated its zero-tolerance stance against logistics-related fraud, saying the whistleblower programme is aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and compliance across its logistics network.
It added: “Public cooperation remains critical in our efforts to eradicate illegal haulage activities. We encourage anyone with credible information to come forward and help us maintain the integrity of our transportation system.”
Except any miracle happens, it is becoming obvious that no member of the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will contest the 2027 general elections at any level, as the door has obviously been slammed on the face of the camp by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This fact became evident with the opposite camp led by Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), fully uploading the names of its own candidates in the commission’s nomination portal.
After ostensibly losing out in the bid to remain the National Chairman of the party, on the strength of the PDP convention held in Ibadan in November 2025, Turaki, had a lee-way when he was announced by the party’s Boad of Trustees (BoT), as the Chairman of a 13-man Caretaker Committee, inaugurated by Adolphus Wabara on May 4 this year.
INEC appears not swayed over the Wabara initiative, and has continued to deal with the Wike group, despite the argument that the verdict of the Supreme Court also decapitated the wings upon which it sought to fly by upholding the suspension of Sam Anyanwu, as National Secretary, and thus rendered the meeting he called that led to the opposite leadership, INEC, appears swayed.
Abdulrahman Mohammed, National Chairman, of the Wike camp, who announced the latest development in a statement on Sunday, said: “This is a clear demonstration of our commitment to the promise we made that, under my leadership, the PDP will fully participate in the 2027 General Elections. Today, we have taken another decisive step towards fulfilling that promise.
“As we await the conclusion of the upload of our Governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates, I, on behalf of the National Working Committee of our Party, extend my heartfelt congratulations to all PDP members across Nigeria and around the world. Together, we will continue to build a stronger, more united Party and a better future for our nation.”
On May 26, the Wike-backed PDP named Sandy Onor, a former senator, as its presidential candidate.
On May 30, the opposition party faction led by Kabiru Turaki announced former President Goodluck Jonathan as its standard-bearer for the 2027 elections.
On July 10, Wike said it would be difficult for the PDP to win a presidential election unless it first resolved its lingering internal crises.
The minister added that political parties hoping to win the presidency must surmount their internal challenges and strengthen their grassroots structures.
“We are not passers-by in our nations. We are bona fide citizens of the nation. We have a right to participate in who governs us,” were the exact words with which David Oyedepo, Presiding bishop of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, sought to rouse the consciousness of Nigerians to directly get involved in the affairs of the country.
Oyedepo, a known critic of President Bola Tinubu, directly asked members of the church to obtain their voter cards to do the needful, through active participation in the electoral process as responsible citizens.
On Sunday during the church’s service at the Faith Tabernacle in Ota, Ogun state, Oyedepo said Christians have a civic responsibility to participate in deciding who governs their countries, the fiery cleric admonished his flock: “We have a civic responsibility as responsible citizens of our various nations. This church is today in 144 nations.
“So, endeavour to secure your voter cards. You are men and women of the spirit. You should know on your own personal conviction where to cast your vote.
“You, as bona fide citizens of your respective countries should not remain indifferent to the electoral process. So, please go ahead. It’s part of our policy; you will find it in our mandate. So, go ahead and ensure that you secure your voter’s right. And this church, with the millions that we have, we have a say in it. So, be part of it.”
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