Governor Alex Otti of Abia State is facing backlash after allocating millions of Naira to a law firm owned by his friend and political ally, Mr. Kenneth Ahia, SAN. The firm, Ken Ahia, SAN & Associates, was reportedly paid millions of Naira for negotiating a single road contract in the state.
Documents obtained by SaharaReporters, dated October 5, 2023, reveal communication between the Abia State Ministry of Justice and Ahia’s law firm, regarding the negotiation and review of the Port Harcourt Road reconstruction contract in Aba. The payment was labeled as “discounted professional fees,” with the ministry seeking approval for the sum of N50 million, down from N60 million after negotiations.
The Attorney General of Abia State, Ikechukwu Uwanna, defended the fee in his letter to the governor, citing the complexity of the transaction as justification for the amount spent. This deal has sparked controversy, particularly as Ahia had previously supported Otti’s political campaign by donating two buses in 2022.
Ahia had presented the buses in Umuasua, Isuikwuato Local Government Area, to aid Otti’s campaign team in reaching voters across the state. Additionally, Ahia was one of the lawyers who represented Otti at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
However, the news of this contract has sparked outrage among some Nigerians on social media platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). Many have criticized the Otti administration for what they perceive as extravagant spending. One social media user, @ibirogba2000, commented, “Obiās only governor just wants to ruin the stateā¦ Ikpeazu is better than Obi’s only governor.”
Further concerns were raised when SaharaReporters previously disclosed that the 2024 budget for Abia State included a controversial N1.5 billion allocation for the purchase of two Toyota Hilux vehicles. Governor Otti later attributed this figure to a software error, clarifying that the actual amount was N150 million.
In addition, the 2024 budget earmarked N5.8 billion for the purchase of cars for the governor, commissioners, and other high-ranking officials. Critics argue that these expenses reflect poor financial management in the Otti administration.
A social media user, @Enwagboso, voiced frustration: “A state governor paid a personal lawyer N50 million to draft the Aba-PH road contract, after the Ministry of Justice paid over N5 billion in court staff salaries for the year. No one in the Ministry could draft that contract?”
On Facebook, Peter Odion expressed skepticism about politicians in the Labour Party, accusing them of being opportunists who failed to secure tickets from other parties like the PDP and APC. Another user, Nnamdi Benito, lamented that while Otti is often hailed as a model governor, the reality in Abia is far from the praise he receives.
In a final critique, a user questioned the inflated fee request for the contract: “The company requested N50 million, but the Attorney General submitted N60 million to the governor for approval. How did the extra N10 million appear?”
For more updates, join our WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VabITrvEAKW7DSkTfP0.