The political temperature in Abia State rose sharply on Monday after Governor Alex Otti blasted the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, over comments accusing him of mismanaging the state’s increased federal allocations.
Kalu, addressing supporters in Bende on Sunday, had alleged that Otti’s administration had failed to justify the higher funds the state received following the removal of fuel subsidy, claiming that past governors did more with less. He vowed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would take over Abia in 2027, insisting that “what is given from Abuja will get to your ward.”
“You cannot be getting the kind of money you are getting and still be performing at the same level as those who got N4bn or N5bn,” Kalu said. “Today, Tinubu has released N38bn, N40bn, and you want us to compare you with those days? The APC will take over this state.”
Governor Otti, through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, fired back sharply, accusing Kalu of “advertising his ignorance of basic financial realities.” Otti urged the lawmaker to “seek help rather than disgrace himself in public.”
The statement explained that while federal allocations have risen nominally, their real value has been eroded by inflation and naira depreciation. “As of April 2023, a few days before Governor Alex Otti assumed office, the exchange rate stood at N460 to the dollar. At the present rate of N1,500, N3.2bn today is equivalent to N1bn in 2023,” Ekeoma said.
He noted that Nigeria’s import-dependent economy meant that most infrastructure projects now cost up to four times more than they did two years ago. “If inflation is factored in at an average of 20% per annum, the situation worsens,” he added.
Otti’s team also highlighted rising wage obligations in Abia State. “Before Governor Otti came in, the minimum wage was N30,000, paid only to ‘core’ civil servants. Today, the minimum stands between N70,000 and N74,000, covering all verified workers,” the statement said, adding that the state workforce had grown from 31,000 to over 67,000 employees, excluding 5,349 newly recruited teachers.
Ekeoma accused Kalu of hypocrisy and political opportunism, arguing that the Deputy Speaker had been silent when past administrations excluded thousands of workers from the payroll. “Ironically, he never uttered a word then, because he was unsure of the ambition he now nurses,” he said.
The statement further accused Kalu of betraying his political benefactors and attempting to use President Bola Tinubu’s name to “advance selfish political ambitions.” Otti’s aide also mocked Kalu’s recent public advice to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu over demolitions, calling it “a stunt meant to play to the gallery.”
Ekeoma said Kalu’s attacks stemmed from the massive turnout that welcomed President Tinubu during his visit to Abia — a show of confidence in Otti’s leadership. “Those men and women who trooped out in their thousands were not paid; they are real Abians who have witnessed good governance,” he said.
Concluding, Ekeoma advised Kalu to “relax, have a cold drink, and wait for 2027,” describing his current outbursts as “ignorance and rascality.”
