Gov Otti, Kalu Camps Clash Over $263.8m Abia Infrastructure Loan

The political tension between Abia State Governor Alex Otti and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has intensified following fresh disagreements over a $263.8 million loan facility obtained by the state government for infrastructure development.

Chief Iheanyi Chinasa, the Abia State Government’s Chief Liaison Officer to the National Assembly, criticised Kalu for his recent remarks on the loan, accusing him of spreading misinformation to discredit Governor Otti.

The facility, secured for the Abia State Integrated Infrastructural Development Project (ABSIID), was sourced from a consortium of three banks — Islamic Development Bank ($125 million), African Development Bank ($100 million), and Canada–Africa Development Bank ($15 million) — with the Abia State Government providing $23.8 million as counterpart funding.

Chinasa, who hails from the same constituency as Kalu, dismissed the Deputy Speaker’s comments as “baseless and politically motivated,” stressing that no funds have been drawn from the facility.

“These funds are still with the banks. The state has not drawn a single kobo from them as I speak. This information is in the public domain for anyone to verify,” he said.

He accused Kalu of “crying wolf where there is none,” adding that it was “shocking” for the Deputy Speaker to demand results from a loan that has yet to be disbursed.

“Why does the Deputy Speaker like to misinform the public? Is this desperation to create controversy or to present himself as being persecuted for the President’s sake?” Chinasa queried.

Chinasa further alleged that Kalu was using every opportunity to blackmail the state government, urging him to focus on his legislative duties instead of engaging in “unprovoked attacks” against the governor.

“If he thinks he has the popularity and capacity to compete with Governor Otti, he should wait for 2027 and contest,” he added.

He maintained that Governor Otti had performed creditably with available resources and deserved commendation rather than criticism.

The latest clash follows Kalu’s recent comments suggesting that development in Abia State was not commensurate with the funds accruing to the state, while crediting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for improving federal allocations after the removal of fuel subsidy.

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