…I Spent it for Research, The Governor Claims 😳😱😭
By: Eric Dwyse Ikwuagwu
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT N54 BILLION CLAIMED BY OTTI’S GOVERNMENT ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (R&D)
*Research and Development (consultancy fees) = N54 billion? Hewu!!!
*Sieving through the Abia government’s own expenditure reports using “native sense” to find answers to how the state spent a total revenue of about N1.3 Trillion since May, 2023 till date, with nothing truly significant and magnificent enough to show for it, except social media sponsored praise singers and a few Abia elites who are cornered whether willingly or otherwise to exaggerate claims of total transformation in the state, without minding the huge allocations coming into Abia.
*Does it mean that these few men who will stand behind the microphone to praise any Governor in power, cannot for once scale back their sycophantic tendencies and ask deeper questions as regarding total revenue received which must be measured against physical infrastructure delivered and welfare of Abians because a verdict of “performance” is given
*Mention just one elite who is singing Otti’s praises today that didn’t do more with other governors before him. The elite conspiracy with whosoever that is in power against the ordinary people is reason why Abia resources is raped recklessly to extent of claiming N54 billion on Research and Development.
*For a state that is struggling with miniature infrastructures that are largely centered on painting and repainting, maintenence job “retrofitting”, and claimed it has paid out N97 billion to contractors for renovation of unseen public schools; “burying” a staggering N54 billion on another unseen venture (R&D) is mindless.
*A simple comparison with other states should deepen the concerns of reasonable elites and ordinary Abians alike, not those “every Governor in power” red cap dudes.
Anambra State under Prof. Soludo claimed about N3 billion on (R&D) for 6 years, while Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi are under N2 billion mark, and Otti’s Abia has claimed N54 billion on R&D. If this doesn’t worry you, then you are part of the problem of Abia or outrightly ignorant (ndi eriri eri)
*So, what exactly justifies such a dramatic difference with Otti’s Abia R&D versus other state Governors, when Abia civil and public servants are the least paid in the entire South-East and South-South states put together?
*A close perusal of Otti’s government own budget PERFORMANCE reports show that the poorly paid Abia civil servants consumed a huge part of the N54 billion through their trainings and conferences. Una dey collect meagre N24k and N55k as monthly salary but dem take part of N54 billion train una 😆 🤣 😂 😹.
*Even more shocking is the claim that part of the N54 billion on R&D went into geological and seismic mapping of Abia State.
■ Is Abia ever prone to earthquakes or even the south-east?,
■when has threat of earthquake become such an emergency concern that the welfare of Abians is discarded for seismic study?
■ Why spend such billions on R&D to understudy when earthquake will happen in Abia whereas it has never been an issue in ala Igbo.
■What measurable benefits have emerged from this exercise ka onweziri ebe ozo ego nile ndia banyere?
*Another ridiculous claim is that part of the N54 billion R&D was also used for Abia GDP research. Since when did Abia assume the role of the National Bureau of Statistics? On what sensible and even legal basis qualified Otti’s Abia to determine its own GDP figures at such enormous cost?
*ABSU and ABIAPOLY accreditation also gulped portions of the N54 billion R&D, while lecturers and workers of these institutions are struggling to survive. Accreditation is good oo but not at that outrageous amount bikonu.
*The financial forensic unit of EFCC and ICPC should designate Abia “A STATE OF PARTICULAR FINANCIAL CONCERN”. They shouldn’t mind the distracting social media noise about performing wonders while cost of contracts remain a constant cause for worry.
*Keeping it honest.
@ORACLE.
