A review of the 2023 Abia State audit report has revealed questionable financial practices, including the payment of ₦70 million to Agnes Chigozie Njoku, the logistics assistant to Mrs. Priscilla Otti, wife of the state governor. The payment was reportedly for “Feeding in Government House” from June to September 2023. Such transactions, deposited into private accounts, violate Nigeria’s Financial Regulations 2009, which explicitly prohibit the payment of public funds into private accounts under Chapter 7, Section 713.

The audit also highlighted a payment of ₦42.8 million to the Deputy Chief of Staff, marked as partial funding for renovating the Deputy Governor’s office. Both payments, totaling ₦112.8 million, were flagged as misclassified expenditures. The audit pointed out that the Nigerian Constitution does not recognize the Office of the First Lady at either the federal or state levels, further questioning the legitimacy of such expenses.

In another instance, ₦41.6 million intended for the Abia Industrial and Innovative Park was reportedly deposited into the personal account of the state’s Commissioner for Environment, Philemon Asonye Ogbonna. Similar irregularities included payments of ₦37.8 million to individuals like former permanent secretary Alozie Kelechi C. and finance director Obinna Nwaokoma, breaching fiscal regulations requiring proper documentation and due process.

Governor Alex Otti’s administration has faced mounting criticism over excessive expenditures amid widespread poverty in the state. The 2024 budget included ₦5.8 billion allocated for vehicles, with ₦1.5 billion controversially attributed to a “software glitch.” Meanwhile, infrastructure issues, such as the poor state of roads in Aba, have drawn public outrage, as 30% of the state’s residents live in multidimensional poverty. Critics accuse Otti’s administration of prioritizing propaganda over meaningful development.