John Okiyi Kalu, former Commissioner for Trade and Investment in Abia State, has dismissed Governor Alex Otti’s assertions that the previous administration left behind an empty treasury and crippling debts, accusing the governor of distorting fiscal realities. During an interview on Arise TV, Kalu refuted Otti’s reliance on a KPMG report, clarifying it as a “process review” rather than a forensic audit, and cited its acknowledgment of over N4 billion in cash left in the state’s Union Bank account by ex-Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration. He further detailed inherited assets, including 60 million from the Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP),225 million in African Development Bank (AfDB) development funds, and N24 billion in collectible stamp duties, alleging these resources were underreported to amplify Otti’s narrative of fiscal rescue.
Kalu criticized Otti’s grasp of basic governance metrics, questioning his inability to articulate monthly internally generated revenue (IGR), federal allocation figures, or public school enrollment data. He also condemned Otti’s decision to reside in a private home in Mfosi while reportedly spending N800 million on renovating commissioners’ quarters and billions on upgrading the Asokoro Abia Lodge, contrasting it with Otti’s claim of seeking N1 billion to complete the official Government House. “Prioritizing personal property over public infrastructure undermines transparency,” Kalu asserted.
The clash stems from Otti’s prior accusations that the Ikpeazu administration left “deceptive legacies,” including an incomplete Government House he deemed unusable. While Otti maintains his government inherited unpaid salaries, pensions, and debts—and has not borrowed since taking office—Kalu insists these claims overshadow inherited assets and strategic fiscal foundations.
