Prince Paul Ikonne, former Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Lands Development Authority (NALDA), has called on the Abia State Government to provide visual documentation supporting its claim of spending N54 billion on renovating 53 public schools across the state.
The challenge comes amid growing scrutiny of the administration’s expenditure reports.
In a statement issued through his media aide, Ujo Justice, Paul Ikonne described the government’s financial claim as “deeply suspicious” and “insulting to Abians’ intelligence,” particularly given the visible deterioration of educational infrastructure throughout the state.
His remarks followed the Abia Accountant General’s disclosure that the state allocated N54.07 billion for school rehabilitation in its 2024 financial report, which detailed N320 billion in total revenue from federal allocations and internally generated funds.
The former NALDA chief highlighted the stark contrast between the reported expenditure and the reality in many Abia schools, where students endure collapsing ceilings, dilapidated blackboards, leaking roofs, and classrooms with moss-covered walls.
“If such enormous funds were truly invested, the government should have no difficulty providing photographic evidence and taking journalists to inspect these renovated facilities,” Ikonne stated.
He particularly questioned the arithmetic behind spending over N1 billion per school on average, demanding transparency: “Name the specific schools that received these renovations. Show us the before-and-after evidence. This isn’t just about accountability – it’s about the future of children currently learning under unacceptable conditions.”
Paul Ikonne called for immediate legislative action, urging state lawmakers to initiate a forensic audit of the education sector expenditure. His intervention adds to mounting pressure on the administration to substantiate its capital project claims amid widespread scepticism from citizens and civil society observers.
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cc: Daily Post Ng
