Former Commissioner for Trade and Investment in Abia State, John Okiyi Kalu has defended the administration of ex-Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, insisting that substantial funds, assets, and infrastructure projects were left behind—contrary to claims by Governor Alex Otti.
Speaking in an interview on ARISE News on Monday, in response to the claims of the Abia Governor, Kalu accused Otti of misinforming the public and described his leadership as “high on propaganda and very low on substance,” while insisting that substantial assets and funds were left behind by the previous administration.
In response to questions on how much was left in state coffers and the status of the uncompleted government house project, Kalu said, “You must have heard Governor Alex Otti, KPMG reports commissioned by his administration is a process review document which says that over N4 billion in cash was left for him. There were near cash instructions also left for him.”
He added that “For instance, Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration also warned N24 billion instant duties, we also left other asset because he likes talking about liability and he wasn’t quite pressed. If you have come to public arena to talk about liability, he should also be talking about assets.
He said, ‘Otti inherited a $60 million round fund, $225 million African Development Fund, N24 billion stamp duties due to Abia State and saw cash in Union Bank of about N4 billion and you said nothing is left in the coffers,’” he added.
Kalu further criticised Governor Otti’s understanding of state finances and project planning, stating that “Thank you for that interview, because it exposed a lot of things. For the first time in my life, I saw a Governor of a state who could not speak to how much a state makes in IGR monthly.
“I saw a Governor for the first time who flagged off an airport project and doesn’t know what the intervention of the state would cost the people of the state and he doesn’t know what the federal government is investing in that project, even though there is budgeting approval for that project. That speaks of who Dr. Alex Otti is, he is very high on propaganda and very low on substance.”
On the issue of the new Government House project, Kalu responded to Otti’s earlier comments , he said “He told you that’s the first floor of the new Government House that was commissioned, that he visited that place and it was fantastic. Let me for a moment concede that it was uncomplicated building.”
Addressing concerns about a loan facility, the former commissioner said “There is a document confirming a contractor finance deal between Access Bank and Canubulk, signed—owned by late Wigwe—signed by Abia for N50 billion contractors finance loan and it’s charged on the state FAC account.”
On the controversial state of a hospital project allegedly left abandoned by the current administration, Kalu stated that “We handed over a modern multi-specialist hospital, about 20 dialysis units, CT scan with executive wards, more than 100 beds, all of them state-of-the-heart. Some of the instruments deployed to that facility were manufactured Dec 2022, deployed February 2023.
“A Governor who took an oath to protect lives and properties of the people of Abia failed to deploy security to protect this asset. Now he has come to the public to deliberately lie,” he added.
He further accused the Otti administration of negligence saying,”You need to know that a facility was handed over to you two years ago. The Governor left it open to vandalization for the equipment to rot and he is bringing people there after two years to inspect.”
When asked what former Governor Ikpeazu did that hasn’t been celebrated, Kalu said, “Exceptional Governor. He is one of the best things that has even happened to Abia. He doesn’t like media noise but he only wanted to work.”
“He added that the governor did over 213 roads. As at the time he came to power, there was no good road. All the good roads were done by Ikpeazu—built schools, streetlights and installed cameras.”he said