'We must find our money' - Otti vows to recover stolen government funds

The governor added that report of the audit revealed that a lot of money was looted and stolen brazenly for non-existing projects.

Gov. Alex Otti of Abia has said that he initiated forensic audit of the State Government’s account to recover stolen government funds and not to witch-hunt anyone.

Otti said this on Sunday during an interactive session with constituents of Isiala Ngwa South State Constituency, in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area.

The governor said that upon assumption of office as governor, he established an audit with the primary objective of recovering stolen government funds and not to send anyone to jail.

He said that the report of the audit revealed that “a lot of money was looted and stolen brazenly” for non-existing projects which include the Abia Airport Project.

“I am looking for the airport for which funds were moved from the coffers of the government for.

“The people concerned with the act of moving the airport project funds in question went to the media and began to say all manner of things.

“If you are following the happenings in the media space, you will see these things there.

“The problem with lying is that when you tell one lie, you will need another one to cover the first lie and need three more lies to cover the second one.

“We are looking for our money and we must find our money.

"If we don’t find the airport, then they will refund our money,” he added.

According to him, the government will not relent in improving the welfare of the citizenry through various progressive initiatives that facilitate socioeconomic growth. He said that the government was determined to recover the funds and utilise it for the development of the state.

Otti commended the House of Assembly member representing Isiala Ngwa South State Constituency, Roland Chinwendu, for playing “politics of no bitterness”.

“Immediately, after the elections he came to me to make it clear that as the member representing my Constituency, he would work with me to move Abia forward.

“It is worthy of note that he is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party and I commend him for that,” he said.

Earlier, Chinwendu said that the emergence of Otti as the governor was an indication that the citizens desire good governance.

“The elections are long over and I was elected to deliver effective representation and not elected to play politics of opposition or bitterness.

“We have a governor whose dictum is practical government and good governance and I have no reason not to identify with him,” he noted.

He assured the governor of the unalloyed support of his constituents and urged him to extend his infrastructural development to every part of the constituency.

Also, a Chieftain of Labour Party, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, commended the lawmaker for reaching beyond party affiliations to support the Labour Party-led government in Abia.

He said that the present administration was poised to reposition the state through governance. In an interview with newsmen, Henry Ori, Leader of the Ebubedike Movement for PDP in Nvosi Ward 5, said that the programmes and policies of the present administration were development-oriented.

“It is for this reason that we are here to show solidarity and support as well as encourage the governor to sustain the good works,” Ori stated.