How Government Paid N70million Into Bank Account Of Personal Assistant To Governor’s Wife For ‘Feeding In Government House’
Payment into private accounts in Nigeria is against the country’s Financial Regulations 2009.
Agnes Chigozie Njoku, the personal assistant on logistics to the wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs Priscilla Otti, was paid N70million by the state government for what was tagged “Feeding in Government House for the period of June to September 2023”, a review of the state audit report for 2023 has showed.
Payment into private accounts in Nigeria is against the country’s Financial Regulations 2009.
Chapter 7, Section 713 of the regulations, provides, “Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private account.”
The report also showed that N42.8 million was paid to the Deputy Chief of Staff as part payment for the renovation of the Deputy Governor’s office.
The total payment of N112.8million was classified as wrong classification of expenditures in the audit report.
The Constitution of Nigeria does not recognise the Office of the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria nor First Lady of any of the 36 states.
Earlier, SaharaReporters reported how the Abia State Commissioner for Environment, Philemon Asonye Ogbonna, also received the sum of N41.6million into his personal account against fiscal laws.
The money was meant for Abia Industrial and Innovative Park at Owaza, Ukwa West local government area.
This contradicts the provisions of the financial regulation 809 in the state as such payments are supposed to pass through proper vouching, documentation and due process.
Another sum of N37.8 million was reportedly paid into the account of Alozie Kelechi C., a former permanent secretary in the state, and Obinna Nwaokoma, who is a director of finance in the state.
Governor Alex Otti has faced increasing criticism over lavish expenditures since his assumption of office.
In February, a copy of the state’s 2024 approved budget published by SaharaReporters revealed that Otti’s administration planned to spend N1.5 billion for the purchase of “two number of Toyota Hilux”.
However, the governor after the report attributed the N1.5 billion budget to a software glitch generated by the Excel package used in preparing the budget document.
A further analysis of the 2024 approved budget of the Abia State government also revealed that Otti allocated the sum of N5,845,000,000 for purchase of cars for himself, commissioners, permanent secretary, judiciary and Government House/MDAs.
In February this year (2024), the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that the poverty index of Abia State stood at 30 percent, meaning that 30 percent of people of the state are living in multi-dimensional poverty.
Earlier this month, SaharaReporters reported how residents and business owners within and around Nkwo Ngwa market in Aba, Abia State, lamented and berated Governor Otti over their flooded bad road.
The residents and business owners had accused Governor Alex Otti’s administration of engaging in social media propaganda to hype his administration while “he is only patching roads constructed by the previous government.”
However, despite the public outcry of poverty and poor state of infrastructure in the state, and the Governor’s promised commitment to reposition the state and lift the people of the state from poverty, a review of the 2024 approved budget further revealed that Governor Otti allocated the sum of N1,545,000,000 to the Office of the Governor for, “Purchase of vehicle for commissioners, Judiciary and Permanent Secretary.”
Also, he allocated a total sum of N2.8 billion to the Office of the Governor for, “Purchase of motor vehicles for Government House/MDAs.”
