The Abia State Government has fired a sharp rebuttal at the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, over his recent criticism of Governor Alex Otti’s administration.
In a statement released Monday, the government described Kalu’s comments as “ignorant, misleading and politically motivated.”
Ferdinand Ekeoma, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Governor, accused Kalu of drawing “infantile comparisons” between Governor Otti and his predecessors, claiming the Deputy Speaker lacked basic economic understanding.
“Abia’s year-to-date FAAC allocation for 2025, including local governments, stands at ₦125 billion. If Kalu’s claim of ₦38 billion monthly were true, the total would reach ₦304 billion,” Ekeoma said.
“Is that a figure a Deputy Speaker should be associated with if he’s serious about governance?”
Ekeoma also addressed the worsening value of the naira and rising project costs. He explained that what ₦3.2 billion buys today would have cost ₦1 billion in 2023.
“A project that was ₦1 billion in 2022 now demands nearly ₦4 billion. Kalu seems oblivious to that,” he stated.
Turning to governance achievements, the statement highlighted that the Otti administration raised the minimum wage from ₦30,000 to between ₦70,000 and ₦74,000 and expanded the verified state workforce from 31,000 to over 67,000.
The government further accused Kalu of hypocrisy, suggesting his political attacks stem from a personal ambition ahead of the 2027 governorship race.
“If Kalu cared about his constituents, he’d acknowledge how many workers were previously excluded from payrolls. Yet he remained silent then,” the release claimed.
Ekeoma lambasted Kalu’s recent appearance at an Aba event, calling it a showpiece move.
“He staged a public commentary when he could’ve done it privately if sincere,” he said.
The statement concluded with a counseled message: “Kalu should focus on his legislative duty and not mislead Nigerians with flawed figures. He might want to chill, grab a cold drink, and wait until it’s time to seriously declare his ambitions.”
