The Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, has revealed that he took over the affairs of the state in a bad shape after the 8 year leadership of former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
The Governor who made an appearance on Channels television responded to some questions bothering on the state of the state when he took over power and he had this to say:
“Absolutely, very, very bad shape, but I am not complaining. I have folded my sleeves and I am just dealing with what I met here.”
Otti while reacting to questions of existing debts said though he wasn’t against debts but he could not understand what the loans taken by his predecessor were used for.
His words:
“My worry is not really about debt, it is about what the debt is used for. If you inherited a debt profile of N34.4 billion by May 29, 2015 and eight years later you ran that debt to about N192.2 billion; I really can’t see anything that you have done with the money, salaries were not being paid, pensioners were being owed, infrastructure was decaying, the place go into ruins, schools were run down completely, hospitals were dilapidated.
“So, the issue is where did the money go? If I am going to take debt, it is going to go into regenerative expenditure. But when you are taking loans and you are running the state into debt, just for consumption, you are not investing in the state; you are not paying salaries; that’s actually what I was talking about.”
On tax collection, Governor Otti said his administration has cleaned up the system by driving away miscreants from collecting taxes for the government.
He said that they have made it a duty that collection of any revenue cannot be made in cash.
“As a government, we do not patronise touts and we have also made it clear that people in Ariaaria market can only pay through the designated banks. Cash payments are no longer allowed. You do not pay for any revenue by cash, you can only pay through the banks,”
Otti also emphasized on fufilling his campaign promises, adding that he’ll deliver on the rail project as promised.
Revealing that he was currently in talks with a Chinese company.
