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Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has appealed to the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) for an increased revenue allocation to the state.
He said such support would enhance the government’s ability to execute its developmental agenda effectively.
Governor Otti made the appeal while receiving the Federal Commissioner representing Abia State at RMAFC, Mrs. Nkechi Oti, who paid him a courtesy visit at his office. The visit was to formally present findings from her recent familiarisation tour and stakeholder engagements across the state.
Highlighting the importance of improved federal funding, Governor Otti noted that Abia has many projects lined up, and additional revenue would help fast-track implementation.
He stressed that his administration has demonstrated prudent fiscal management, a fact recently affirmed by the Debt Management Office (DMO), which recognized Abia for reducing its debt burden.
“We have many critical projects in progress, and if we get more funds, we can do even more,” the Governor said. “You may have seen the DMO report that shows how well Abia is doing in reducing debt. That success is due to our financial discipline—we spend only when necessary and always for the right reasons.”
While commending Mrs. Oti for her thorough assessments, Otti reiterated his administration’s commitment to accountability and responsible governance.
He thanked the RMAFC team for identifying key issues during their inspection and assured that the state government would act on their observations.
One of the major issues raised by Mrs. Oti was the overstaffing at the Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ASOPADEC).
Governor Otti acknowledged the concern and assured that immediate steps would be taken to address the situation. He explained that the goal was not to lay off workers but to ensure optimal deployment of human resources across relevant sectors.
“We are not interested in sending people into the unemployment market,” he said. “What I’ve asked for is restructuring. If some departments are overstaffed, we can redeploy staff to other areas where they are needed. The Head of Service will be part of a meeting to resolve this quickly—possibly starting tomorrow.”
Earlier, Mrs. Nkechi Oti said her visit was part of a familiarisation tour following her recent appointment. She explained that her team had visited several government agencies and institutions in the state.
She praised Governor Otti’s administration for impressive achievements in infrastructure development, particularly road construction, digitization of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), improvements in healthcare and education, and the recruitment of over 5,000 teachers.
However, she also pointed out challenges that need attention, including workforce management at ASOPADEC and the need to deepen community engagement in oil-producing areas.