APC Chieftain Drags Alex Otti to EFCC, ICPC Over Alleged ₦54 Billion Abia School Renovation Scandal
An All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain in Abia State, Eze Chikamnayo, has taken Governor Alex Otti before Nigeria’s leading anti-graft agencies over what he described as the mystery surrounding the controversial ₦54 billion budgeted for school renovation projects in the state.
PulseNets learnt that Chikamnayo has formally petitioned both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, demanding an immediate probe into the alleged mismanagement of the funds.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, and obtained by PulseNets, the APC stalwart did not stop at anti-corruption agencies. He also called on the National Assembly, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Transparency International, and the World Bank to wade into what he insists is a case of monumental fraud.
According to him, the Otti-led administration has failed to provide any verifiable evidence of how the ₦54 billion released between the first and fourth quarters of 2024 was expended.
“The refusal to publish the list, locations, contractors, and even photographs of the so-called 51 public school projects where over ₦54 billion was allegedly spent clearly points to systemic corruption in Abia State,” Chikamnayo told PulseNets.
The APC chieftain maintained that it was alarming that nearly two years into Otti’s government, not a single new smart school project has been seen across the state despite repeated claims in government reports.
“We embarked on fact-finding visits to public schools across Abia, and our findings are disturbing. Over 95 percent of the schools remain in severe neglect—dilapidated buildings, no fences, no teaching materials, nothing to suggest that ₦54 billion has touched the system,” he reported.
PulseNets gathered that Chikamnayo also faulted the figures captured in the Abia State Government’s Budget Performance Report, stressing that they do not align with additional inflows from UBEC and other federal intervention programmes.
He further revealed that letters have already been dispatched to both local and international watchdogs to demand urgent intervention.
“We have written official petitions to the National Assembly, UNESCO, the World Bank, Transparency International, Amnesty International, and other global education-focused organisations. This is to ensure that Abia’s future is not mortgaged by turning education into a conduit for siphoning public funds,” Chikamnayo told PulseNets.
Calling on civil society groups, leaders of thought, and advocacy organisations to hold the Abia government accountable, he insisted that the matter is no longer just about politics but about the future of children in the state.
“For the sake of Abia’s children and generations yet unborn, we have dragged this government before all relevant anti-graft bodies locally and internationally. We will not stop until transparency, accountability, and justice prevail in the governance of Abia State,” he added.
Also Read: #EndBadGovernance: Abia Governor Alex Otti Reacts as State Shuns Protests
PulseNets reports that the petition has already drawn attention in Abuja political circles, with many observers waiting to see how the EFCC, ICPC, and international bodies will respond to the ₦54 billion Abia school renovation scandal.
