Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has appealed to the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to consider increasing the state’s share of federal revenue allocation to support the execution of critical infrastructure and development projects.
Governor Otti made the appeal on Sunday while receiving the Federal Commissioner representing Abia State at RMAFC, Mrs. Nkechi Oti, who presented her report following a familiarisation tour and stakeholder engagements across the state.
He argued that additional revenue from the federation account would enhance the state’s ability to implement key projects, adding that his administration has demonstrated strong financial discipline, as confirmed by a recent Debt Management Office (DMO) report.
“We have numerous pressing projects,” Otti said. “If we receive more funds, we can do even more. We’ve shown discipline in managing resources — as evidenced by the reduction in our debt profile highlighted in the latest DMO report. We only spend when it is absolutely necessary and for the right reasons.”
He thanked Mrs. Oti for the report and pledged to review the recommendations thoroughly.
Responding to concerns raised during the RMAFC delegation’s tour, including issues of overstaffing at the Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ASOPADEC), the governor pledged swift action.
“I’ll engage further with ASOPADEC to understand the core of the problem. We don’t intend to send people into unemployment. The idea is to restructure — if there’s excess capacity, staff can be reassigned elsewhere,” Otti said.
He directed that the Head of Service be involved in an immediate meeting to assess the staffing situation and redeploy personnel as necessary.
Governor Otti also congratulated Mrs. Oti on her appointment and assured her of the state government’s cooperation with RMAFC in advancing the state’s developmental goals.
Earlier, Mrs. Oti noted that her visit was part of her ongoing familiarisation tour following her appointment as Abia State’s representative at the commission. She commended the Otti administration for its achievements in infrastructure development, education, digitalisation of revenue collection, and the recent employment of over 5,000 teachers.
She, however, identified key challenges, including overstaffing at ASOPADEC and the need for stronger community engagement in oil-producing areas.
The meeting was also attended by the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Uwaoma Ukandu; Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Goodluck Ubochi; and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communication, Mr. Dodo Okafor.
