Gov Alex Otti 


The said $150 million the Alex Otti's government claimed it attracted is the ADFB loan which was initiated during the TA administration, processed and approved during the Okezie Ikpeazu  administration and today being availed under the Alex Oti administration. 


Obinna Oriaku stood before the joint committee on foreign debt headed by then-Senator Shehu Sani to defend this facility at the national assembly. Hon Eziuche Ubani, Bar Bob Ogu, Chief Necheta  Omerekpe, Emeka Ononiwu and Senator Enyi Abaribe including Sen TA Orji all part of this facility. 


Other seven States like Kaduna, Kano, and Enugu presented a same-day drawdown on their loan three years ago. Kaduna and Kano jointly used theirs to facilitate the 340km  Kaduna Zaria, Kano road being constructed by Julius Berger.


Enugu State used their loans from a French development agency to facilitate the Enugu water project that was just commissioned a few weeks ago.


Abia faculty suffered a whole lot of setbacks which I may not necessarily go into details. We thank the current Minister who graciously approved its presentation before the FEC as we were among the 37 requests from other states and the fed govt which the Fed  Ministry of Finance was reviewing the process of shutting down due to current economic realities. 


Abia's cocktail of facilities totalling $236m was approved by ADFB in 2022, However, The above funds were (revalidated) approved by the federal executive council in Nov 2023. It is made up of $100 from ADFB and $15m from the Canadian Climate Agency. The $15m from Canada is targeted at erosion, flood water management and waste management. 


Though the present administration has as a policy decided not to open up on governance issues, I want to believe this is the 50% of the N402B loan facility which the government's external loan facility intends to use during the 2024 budget.


I still have an institutional memory of what happened years back and will continue to strengthen the narrative for those who want to know the truth. The truth must always shine no matter how hard we try to suppress it.


Not even the federal government being a sovereign state can initiate a loan and conclude it in 2 years.  Let us learn to appreciate the efforts of those before us. They said government is a continuum as you cannot recreate something out of nothing. 



Ekwedike writes from Owerrinta in Isiala Ngwa South LG,  Abia State.