N54bn school renovation row: Show us the schools, not excuses, Ikonne dares Gov Otti

A top member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Prince Paul Ikonne, has tackled Governor Alex Otti, urging him to “stop distracting the people with contradictions” and provide clarity on the alleged N54 billion school renovation spending.

Governor Otti, during his weekend media chat, dismissed claims that the huge sum had vanished from the state coffers, calling the allegations “baseless” and a product of ignorance about government budgeting and spending processes.

But Ikonne, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Ujo Justice, PhD, questioned why a governor who touts having “seasoned accountants” in his administration would issue conflicting explanations “just to downplay a now national issue and the question on the lips of every Abian: where are the schools, and where is the ₦54 billion?”

The APC stalwart recalled that past administrations had also announced hefty figures for school rehabilitation with little to show, citing a previous ₦18 billion allocation that “left no visible results.”

Citing a Sahara Reporters investigation, Ikonne noted that official state budget performance records contradict Otti’s dismissal of the ₦54 billion expenditure as a “mistake.” The data shows ₦54.066 billion was recorded as spent on school repairs between October and December 2024 alone, with total spending in 2024 reaching ₦58.323 billion.

“If Governor Otti insists that only ₦2.1 billion was spent on schools, then he must explain why his own administration’s budget records say otherwise,” Ikonne said.

He also brought to the fore findings from the approved 2024 budget showing ₦64.7 billion earmarked to remodel 51 schools — an average of ₦1.26 billion per school.

“This data,” Ikonne stressed, “makes it clear that the governor is either deliberately misleading Abians or is unaware of what his government is signing off.”

Ikonne applauded the Freedom of Information (FOI) request filed by the Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD), which is seeking a detailed breakdown of the ₦54 billion — including the names, locations, and scope of work at the schools reportedly renovated.

“Governor Otti should stop hiding behind semantics. Budgets are estimates, but expenditures are facts. The documents clearly show ₦54 billion was reported as spent between October and December 2024. If he disputes this, let him publish the schools. Abians are not asking for excuses — we are asking for evidence,” Ikonne said.

He concluded by urging the governor to put transparency ahead of propaganda: “Leadership is about accountability, not storytelling. You cannot claim to be the face of transparency while dodging the simplest question: show us the schools.”