Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has revealed that he has been able to pay N90 billon out of N191.2 billon debt he inherited from May 29, 2023.

The Governor declared during a chat with journalists that, in addition, his administration has continued to fix roads, provide quality healthcare and health facilities, renovate and upgrade schools, tackle security, among others without borrowing.

Otti said the people would continue to be the focus of his administration.

He also disclosed that after investigation, he as ordered the prosecution of the 11 civil servants involved in pension fraud in the State.

He emphasized that government would continue to sanitize the civil service and would not compromise his zero tolerance for corruption.

“We continued with our efforts to sanitize the civil service. I’m sure you would have heard some reports about some civil servants who were involved in pension fraud.

“We are continuing with their prosecution. I have authorized that in the next few days, they (pension fraud suspects) should be arraigned before the court to come and tell us how come they were stealing from the State.

“From the report I got, about ten or eleven of them; some of them are outside the country. We are going to repatriate them to answer to the State of their sins”, the Governor said.

Governor Otti said it was unfortunate that some members of the opposition were brazenly castigating governments decision to arrest the suspects and assured that government was not going back down on its decision no matter who is involved.

“We can’t tolerate that kind of corruption, no matter who is involved. People who are defending thieves should be perceived and treated like thieves. So, we are issuing a warning, there is a limit to opposition.”

He also used the forum to disclose that he has directed the Accountant-General of the State and the Commissioner for Finance to look at the errors noticed in the payment of the new minimum wage and correct them accordingly.

The Governor said that work would soon start on the 200 primary healthcare centres in the three Senatorial zones of the State, saying the whole idea was to provide quality and accessible healthcare for all.

“At the same time, the 22 secondary healthcare centres are receiving attention step by step.

“We are not stopping at that. We are also working hard to ensure that we attract the right personnel.”

Governor Otti, who revealed that his administration is making arrangements to introduce electric vehicle buses for intra and inter city transportation to cushion the effects of removal of fuel subsidy added that discussions to that effect has reached advanced stage.