Aisha Yesufu berates Governor Otti over millions spent on refreshments, allowances

Aisha Yesufu, a social critic and human rights activist, has criticized Abia State Governor Alex Otti for allegedly spending more than $3 million in three months on meals and refreshments, honoraria, welfare benefits, and settlements of honorariums.

Yesufu cautioned that continuing with governance as usual may never be the best course of action.

The warning came after the release of the Abia State budget performance report, which revealed that the government had spent an astounding N927 million in only three months on food and drink, honoraria payments, welfare benefits, and other items for the eggheads.

The state government's website has the report named "Abia State Third Quarter (July – September) 2023 Budget Performance."

“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,” it read.

According to the report, the Otti-led administration stated that during July and September of 2023, it spent N305,400,000.00 on honoraria and sitting allowances for government personnel, while it spent N223,389,889.84 on refreshments and meals.

Additionally, the government declared that N397,520,734.00 was spent on welfare benefits.

The government said in the report that N252.4 million was utilized for the three-month operation of the Deputy Governor's office.

Aisha Yesufu, however, questioned why the government would spend nearly a billion naira on food and welfare in just three months in a post on her social networking site, X, on Monday.

“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.

@Nedunaija this is not good at all", she wrote on her X page. 

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 spendings… https://t.co/kfNQJKITJU

— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) November 20, 2023