Yesufu knocks Alex Otti for lavishing N927m on refreshments, others

A human rights activist and presidential campaign director of the Labour Party in 2023 election, Aisha Yesufu has knocked Governor Alex Otti of Abia state over huge amount his government claimed it spent within three months on refreshments, meals, settlement of honorarium, allowances, and welfare packages.

Yesufu warned that business as usual in governance could never be the way to go.

The admonition followed the Abia State budget performance report indicating that the government spent a whopping N927 million within three months on refreshments and meals, settlement of honorarium, allowances and welfare packages for the eggheads.

The report titled “Abia State Third Quarter (July – September) 2023 Budget Performance” was posted on the state government’s website

“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.

In the report, 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.

However, in a post on her social media platform X on Monday, Aisha Yesufu asked why the government would spend almost a billion on food and welfare in 3 months.

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."