Connect with us

News

It’s a fraud, ex-Gov Ikpeazu commissioned uncompleted Govt House — Alex Otti opens up

Published

on

Ex-Gov Ikpeazu and Gov Otti
Spread the love

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has accused his predecessor, Okezie Ikpeazu, of committing fraud by commissioning an uncompleted Government House, describing it as one of several deceptive legacies his government has had to correct since assuming office.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE News, Governor Otti said that while the previous administration had ceremoniously opened the new Government House, what he met on ground upon taking office told a different story.

“What happened was that my predecessor commissioned an uncompleted building on the 28th of May. And it is supposed to be new Government House. So what did he do? He completed the ground floor, finished it very well, put Italian furniture in the place, painted it, and commissioned it.

“So after the inauguration, I went there. When I looked at the ground floor, I was very happy. But as I went to the first and second floor, they were not even plastered. No sanitary fittings, nothing. So that’s a fraud.”

When asked if he was going to probe his predecessor, Otti said, “You have only four years. And when you get into some of these distractive things, you lose focus. I have too much work to do. Of course, we tried to. We called in KPMG at some point. And I’m sure you must have seen that, where they looked at one of the accounts. And they found that some 10 billion naira was drawn for a non-existent airport. So that’s the only one that we are saying, bring back our money or give us the airport.”

“Probing is a waste of my time,” he added.

Maduka College Advert

Throughout the interview, Otti maintained that his government had not borrowed a single kobo since assuming office—despite inheriting a debt profile of N192 billion, including outstanding salaries, pensions, and debts owed to government parastatals.

He said, “Let me tell you something. I just saw the numbers from DMO, that in 2023, they said we inherited a debt profile of $138 billion. But as at the end of last year, we reduced it to $66 billion. We have not borrowed one dime.”

However, Otti revealed that the actual debt was more than what the DMO recorded, saying, “Let me also go back and let you know that by the time we looked at the books and the numbers, we found that it was actually N192 billion that my predecessor handed over to me as debt.”

“DMO didn’t include pension areas, which we cleared off. They didn’t include salary areas, which we also paid. They didn’t include all the parastatals that were being owed, including Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic and then the medical personnel,” he explained.

“So those we have taken care of. And today I can tell you the state is running very, very well. Don’t bother yourself about where I’m going to find the money because that’s my own area,”

Addressing how he cleared of Pension arrears Otti said, “First of all, pension arrears, some of them we are, talking of numbers of 45 to 56 months, people were not paid. So we sat down with the pensioners and we said, okay, you are being owed this much. We need to take them out. So the leadership of pensioners sat down with us for a very long period of time, and we agreed. And by Easter last year, we paid a total of about $10 billion to pensioners to clear all the arrears.”

On the state of healthcare, he noted that the controversial multi-specialist hospital in Aba was not abandoned as alleged but repurposed as a general hospital. He explained that the nearby Abia State University Teaching Hospital had regained full accreditation under his watch and now fills the specialist role.

He explained, “The specialist hospital was not abandoned. It’s actually working. What we did was to convert it to a general hospital because it’s in Aba. You have the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, which in itself functions as a specialist hospital, also in Aba. So you don’t need to set up another specialist hospital in Aba.

“So what happened before my time is that the Abia State University Teaching Hospital lost accreditation in 2021. And the reason for that was that my predecessors abandoned the university. The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria came back in 2022 and reaffirmed the loss of accreditation. So when we came up in 2023, I gave my people six months to fix that teaching hospital, get the necessary personnel, and ensure that the accreditation was restored.

“To the glory of God, in December 2023, it was dramatic when the registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria came here. He said by the time he got to the teaching hospital, he was almost missing his way. And he thought the driver was taking him somewhere. And so the accreditation was restored in 2023. So everything that you require in the teaching hospital is there right now.”

“The idea is to have specialist hospitals in every senatorial zone of the state,” the governor added.

Governor Otti then reaffirmed his commitment to the people of Abia State, as he said, “Nobody is more important to me than Abia people and God.” (AriseNews TV)

News

Akani Landlords in Enugu raise alarm over alleged encroachment, urge buyers to exercise caution

Published

on

Spread the love

The Akani Ancestral Layout Landlords Association has issued a public warning to prospective land buyers and investors over alleged encroachment issues involving parts of the Akani Land Layout Planning Scheme located in Emene-Nike, Enugu.

In a public notice released on Monday, the association said its attention had been drawn to videos circulating online concerning individuals allegedly involved in controversial land transactions within sections of the Akani Ancestral Layout.

According to the association, one of the videos featured a female investor who allegedly paid for plots of land in New Enugu Estate and Dolphine Estate but was yet to receive allocation of the purchased plots.

While sympathising with the investor over the development, the association stated that its members had reviewed the location and size of the land reportedly belonging to Dolphine Estate and now suspect that parts of the estate may have encroached on the area officially known as the Akani Land Layout Planning Scheme.

The association explained that the layout was approved through a Public Notice issued under the Urban and Regional Planning Law, 2012, and signed on August 16, 2012, by the then Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development in Enugu State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ujam.

Raising what it described as a “red flag” to the public, the association urged intending land buyers to conduct proper due diligence before purchasing land in the area, stressing the importance of ensuring that any property being acquired does not violate the boundaries of the Akani Layout Planning Scheme.

Maduka College Advert

The group also disclosed that many members of the Akani Layout Landlords Association had already completed verification processes and payments for their title documents with relevant authorities in the Enugu State Government.

The association noted that the notice was aimed at preventing future disputes and helping prospective investors avoid costly mistakes.

“Forewarned is forearmed,” the statement concluded.

Continue Reading

News

Tinubu congratulates Rangers International after ninth NPFL title win

Published

on

Victorious Rangers International FC
Spread the love

…Lauds Gov Mbah’s investment in youth, sports

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Rangers International FC on winning the 2025/2026 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title, describing the club’s triumph as a remarkable achievement and a testament to its enduring football legacy.

Rangers secured the league crown for a record ninth time after finishing the season with 68 points from 38 matches, ahead of closest rivals Rivers United.

In a statement issued on Monday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu congratulated the management, players and supporters of the Enugu-based side for their successful campaign.

The President recalled the club’s dominance in Nigerian football during the 1970s and 1980s, highlighting its historic exploits on the continental stage.

He specifically referenced Rangers’ run to the final of the African Cup of Champions Clubs in 1975 and their triumph in the African Cup Winners’ Cup in 1977.

President Tinubu also praised the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, for supporting youth and sports development in the state, saying the club’s success reflected the impact of such investments.

Maduka College Advert

“I must also congratulate Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State on the victory of Rangers International FC. This victory is an obvious fruit of his administration’s investments in youth and sports in the state. I commend him,” the President said.

He further noted that Rangers, as one of Nigeria’s oldest football clubs, has produced several players who brought honour to the country on the global stage.

The President equally commended Rivers United for their impressive performance throughout the season and for displaying sportsmanship during the competition.

Tinubu wished both Rangers International FC and Rivers United success as they prepare to represent Nigeria in next season’s CAF Champions League.

Continue Reading

News

INEC appeals ruling against Election Guidelines

Published

on

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN)
Spread the love

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgement of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which nullified part of the the election guidelines put in place by the commission for the conduct of the 2027 general election.

Justice Muhammed Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, had last week nullified guidelines issued by the INEC directing political parties to submit their membership registers and databases by May 10, 2026, as a condition for participation in the 2027 general election.

A political party, the Youth Party, had filed a suit challenging the legality of the electoral body’s directive or guidelines.

The court said in its judgement that INEC could not lawfully shorten the timeline already provided under Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 for the submission of party membership records and candidates’ particulars.

But, in the appeal notice dated May 25, 2026, filed by INEC, through its Counsel, Chief Alex Izinyon, SAN, the electoral umpire prayed the court to set aside the judgement of the lower court.

Maduka College Advert
Continue Reading

Trending

Maduka College Advert