Published by Osasere Edomwonyi Ikpoba
The Abia State Government has moved to clarify a major controversy surrounding its 2025 Accountant-General’s Report, insisting that the ₦1,003,091,350 expenditure was for the procurement of 12 Toyota Hilux vehicles and not two as initially published. The clarification, contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the state Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, attributed the discrepancy to a “quantity-entry error” that occurred during the compilation of the consolidated schedule. According to the government, the figure “2” that appeared on page 401 of the report resulted from the omission of the digit “1,” meaning the actual number of vehicles purchased was 12, not two.
The government maintained that a review of underlying payment records and supporting procurement documents by the Office of the Accountant-General confirmed the corrected figure. The verified payment schedule shows that Ubale Services Enterprises supplied two 2024 Toyota Hilux vehicles for ₦177.75 million, while Globe Motors Holdings Limited supplied two batches of five Toyota Hilux Double Cabin vehicles at ₦412.67 million per batch, bringing the total to 12 vehicles. The government noted that the suppliers are identifiable corporate entities and that the number, specifications, and value of the vehicles supplied can be independently verified from the companies and appropriate government records.
The clarification translates to an average cost of approximately ₦83.59 million per vehicle. The government expressed appreciation to Abians and the public for their keen interest in the state’s financial records, describing the scrutiny as valuable feedback and a key element of accountable governance. It reaffirmed Governor Alex Otti’s commitment to transparency, stating that his administration is not above making mistakes and would promptly acknowledge and correct any errors or omissions in official publications.
The controversy has drawn sharp reactions from civil society and legal practitioners. St. Moses Ogbonna, National President of Nzuko Ohaneze Ukwa/Ngwa Inc., has challenged the government to produce documentary and physical evidence backing its claim, demanding the original procurement approvals, contracts, invoices, payment vouchers, delivery notes, registration documents, and chassis numbers of all 12 vehicles. Ogbonna also questioned why the vehicles were described as “2024 Toyota Hilux” in a report covering the 2025 accounting year and called for scrutiny of whether the procurement represented value for money. He stressed that his questions did not amount to an allegation of wrongdoing but were precisely the kind of scrutiny proper public financial management requires.
This is not the first time the Otti administration has had to correct errors in its financial publications. In 2024, a ₦1.5 billion allocation for two Toyota Hilux vans was similarly dismissed as a software glitch in the Excel package used to prepare the budget document. As the government moves to formally correct the error and issue an explanatory note to ensure the public record accurately reflects the transaction, the controversy highlights the ongoing challenges of financial reporting and the critical importance of public scrutiny in holding governments accountable.
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