A human rights activist and presidential campaign director of the Laboured Party in the 2023 election, Aisha Yesufu, has criticized Governor Alex Otti of Abia State for spending close to a billion naira on refreshments and welfare packages in three months.
Recall that the state government had posted on its website a report on the state’s budget performance, claiming that N927 million was spent within three months on refreshments and meals, settlement of honorarium, allowances and welfare packages.
The report, titled: “Abia State Third Quarter (July – September) 2023 Budget Performance”, said: “This Q3 and Year to date performance is assessed against the revised 2023 Budget that covers the Original Budget plus an Amendment Virement sum of N22,263,269,900 as summarised below.”
In the report, the Otti-led government claimed it spent N223,389,889.84 on refreshments and meals while N305,400,000.00 was spent on honorarium and sitting allowances for government officials within July and September 2023.
The government also claimed it spent N397,520,734.00 on welfare packages.
Also in the report, the government claimed N252.4m was used to run the Deputy Governor’s office for 3 months.
But the activist, in a post on her social media platform X on Monday, asked why the government would spend almost a billion on food and welfare in 3 months.
Mrs Yesufu warned that business as usual in governance could never be the way to go.
She wrote: “Business as usual can never be the way to go. It must be business unusual. Expenditure must be reduced to the barest minimum.
“Almost a billion on food and welfare in 3 months? @alexottiofr get organizations like @TrackaNG to help keep you on your toes and monitor your spending and what to cut down on.”