Days of sharing, spending Abia money frivolously over – Gov Otti

• The Governor said it was an anomaly for states to go obsequiously to the Federal Government for allocation

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti says the era of living large on public funds and enriching people with government money has passed.

Otti, who stated that it was time for public officers to make sacrifices for the growth of the state, disclosed that some persons in time past shared the state’s fund like blood tonic.

He spoke at the Government House, Umuahia, on Saturday, during a follow-up retreat where heads of MDAs led their teams to present strategies on shoring up the State’s fiscal base and increasing its internally generated revenue.

He implored heads of various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to come up workable, actionable and enduring strategies on improved State IGR.

Otti disclosed that Abia would no longer rely on loans to funds the 2024 budget if it was able to significantly increase its IGR.

The Governor said it was an anomaly for states to go obsequiously to the Federal Government for allocation, noting that sub-nationals must generate income to undertake expenditure and execute projects.

He expressed hope that if the right thing was done, by the end of the year, the State would not have to borrowed as much as it stated in the budget.

Governor Otti also cleared the air on the abrogation of the pension law for ex-governors and their deputies in the State, saying it was a cost-cutting system, and not a political witch-hunt targeted at any individual.

He advised politicians who allegedly shared Abia’s money as blood tonic in the past, to understand that the days of blood tonic politics are over.

“We don’t believe that politics is a business. We believe that people should have things they are doing before coming to serve, and if you have offered yourself to serve, then you should be willing to make the required sacrifices.

“If you find yourself in this place, you should count yourself lucky that people believe in you, gave you their support and their votes.

“It is a privilege, and the least that is expected of you is to make sacrifices for the betterment of the State.

“So, the days of sharing money are over, the days of blood tonic politics are also over. This is the time to make sacrifices for the interest of the State,” he said