ABIA STATE GOVT FIRES BACK AT BENJAMIN KALU OVER COMMENTS ON GOVERNOR OTTI’S PERFORMANCE.

By Prince Uwalaka Chimaroke
6- OCT- 2025

The Special Adviser to the Abia State Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, has issued a strong response to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, following a viral video in which the federal lawmaker criticized the performance of Governor Alex Otti and compared him unfavorably with past administrations.

Ekeoma described Kalu’s remarks as “spurious, misleading, and borne out of ignorance of financial and economic realities.” He noted that the Deputy Speaker’s comments were riddled with falsehoods and lacked any grounding in verifiable data.

According to Ekeoma, Abia’s 2025 year-to-date FAAC allocation, including Local Government funds, stands at ₦125 billion, contrary to Kalu’s claim that the state receives ₦38 billion monthly. “If we were to go by Kalu’s false figure, the allocation would have amounted to ₦304 billion in eight months,” Ekeoma said, questioning why a Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly would “spread such barefaced lies.”

The Governor’s media aide further highlighted how currency devaluation and inflation have significantly affected the real value of state finances. He recalled that as of April 2023, shortly before Governor Otti took office, the exchange rate was ₦460 per dollar, but has now risen to about ₦1,500 per dollar.
“In real terms,” he explained, “₦3.2 billion today is equivalent to ₦1 billion in 2023. Given Nigeria’s import-dependent economy, states may appear to earn more nominally, but the cost of executing projects has quadrupled. A road that cost ₦1 billion in 2022 now takes about ₦4 billion to complete.”

Ekeoma also addressed Kalu’s criticism of the state’s wage structure, noting that before Otti’s emergence, Abia’s minimum wage was ₦30,000, paid only to “core civil servants.” Under the current administration, however, the minimum wage has increased to between ₦70,000 and ₦74,000, with broader inclusion of workers. “If Kalu had any real understanding of public finance, he would have known this before embarrassing himself in public,” Ekeoma added.

The Governor’s spokesperson went on to provide statistics on the civil service workforce, pointing out that before Otti’s administration began, the total number of Abia civil servants stood at 31,000, as disclosed by former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu. Presently, Ekeoma said, over 67,000 workers have been verified and included in the state payroll, excluding the 5,349 newly recruited teachers.
He argued that many of these workers were previously “oppressed, isolated, and abandoned” under previous administrations, while Kalu maintained silence because he was “unsure of the political ambition he now nurses.”

Ekeoma further accused the Deputy Speaker of political opportunism, saying that his recent statements are driven more by personal ambition than genuine concern for Abians. “After months of hiding behind the shadows and sponsoring attacks on the government, Kalu has finally unmasked himself. His actions are part of a larger script aimed at positioning himself for 2027,” he alleged.

The media aide also criticized Kalu’s recent comments at a public event in Aba, where the lawmaker advised Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to halt house demolitions. Ekeoma described the act as “cheap political grandstanding,” saying that if Kalu’s intentions were sincere, “he would have given such advice privately, not on stage.” He added that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu “knows the difference between genuine loyalty and opportunistic flattery,” and will not be swayed by “lies and incitement.”

Addressing Kalu’s reference to the massive crowd that welcomed Governor Otti and President Tinubu’s representative during a recent visit to Aba, Ekeoma said the turnout was not staged. “Those men and women were not hired or dressed in uniforms. They came out willingly because they are real witnesses and beneficiaries of good governance,” he stated.

Concluding his remarks, Ekeoma advised the Deputy Speaker to remain calm and avoid needless provocations. “Kalu should relax, have a cold drink, and wait for the right time to pursue his governorship ambition,” he said. “For now, what he is displaying is sheer ignorance and political rascality. Anyone who wishes to challenge this government on fiscal matters must first be financially literate.”