- Says, Abia Money Diverted to Signature Bank Under Otti’s Watch
By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has faulted the claim by the governor of the state, Alex Otti, that his administration disbursed N90 billion to settle contract debts incurred by the successive PDP administrations before him
The party dismissed the governor’s claim as wild demanding that Otti should substantiate it to prove members of the opposition party wrong
The demand of the PDP is contained in a letter issued by the chairman of the party in Abia state, Elder Abraham Amah, a copy of which was made available to newsmen on Tuesday.
The letter titled, Open letter to Governor Alex Otti”, reads, “The attention of Abia State PDP has been drawn to recent claims you made regarding the payment of N90 billion to contractors in our state, which you allege to be debts incurred by previous PDP-led administration in the state.
“To be clear, the Abia PDP is unaware of the existence of such a debt incurred by the immediate past PDP administration. It will serve the interests of Abians if you put out the records as proof of your claims.
“We must express our profound concern regarding your assertion that such a significant sum can be disbursed to settle debts which, by our understanding, lacks verifiable documentation and due process.
“This staggering amount warrants immediate scrutiny and we urge you to clarify how this figure was determined and the basis for these payments.
“In the spirit of transparency and accountability, it is vital that you disclose the names of the individuals and companies that have benefited from these financial transactions. The citizens of Abia State deserve to know who received these payments, as it will help foster public trust in your administration and its financial dealings.
“Moreover, the speculation surrounding these payments raises alarm bells among our constituents. With your administration allegedly enriching Signature Bank with an additional N90 billion, you must assure the public of the integrity and legitimacy of these transactions. Our people deserve to have confidence in their leaders, and without clear communication, such confidence is eroded.
“We also find it disheartening that despite previous assurances related to spending and project funding, the situation now appears inconsistent. We implore you to take immediate action to clarify these matters, thereby reinforcing the commitment to transparency that is essential for effective governance.”
