Abia State Governor Alex Otti Urges RMAFC for Increased Federal Allocation to Boost Rapid Development

Abia State’s Governor, Alex Otti, has made an appeal to the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), urging the commission to consider boosting the federal allocation allocated to Abia State. According to Governor Otti, this increase would play a crucial role in accelerating the pace of the state’s developmental programs and initiatives.

The governor delivered this request on Sunday from his official office, where he received a courtesy visit from Mrs. Nkechi Otti, who currently serves as the Federal Commissioner representing Abia State at the RMAFC.

Governor Otti emphasized that a higher allocation from the federal purse would significantly improve Abia’s capacity to implement its numerous projects spread across the state. He made reference to a recent evaluation by the Debt Management Office (DMO), which highlighted the state government’s efforts in maintaining strong financial discipline.

He stated clearly:

“Anything you can do to help us increase our Federal allocation will be very much appreciated. Once again, thank you for the report. I will take my time and read through it. We have a lot of things on our hands. If we get more money to be able to execute them, why not? Particularly, we have also shown financial discipline.”

In her remarks before the governor, Mrs. Nkechi Otti explained that her presence in Abia State was part of a familiarisation tour, as she had only recently been appointed to the commission a few months ago. The commissioner noted that she was keen on understanding how to better represent the interests of Abia State within the RMAFC.

Governor Otti reiterated that with additional funding support from the federal government, his administration would be better positioned to fast-track its development objectives across sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education, and job creation. He stressed that his administration had been prudent in managing the state’s resources, which should encourage the commission to consider a fairer and increased allocation package.

The appeal from Governor Otti comes against the backdrop of significant development challenges faced by Abia State, ranging from infrastructural decay to high youth unemployment. An improved federal revenue allocation could therefore help bridge funding gaps and provide the much-needed boost to local economic development.

The governor closed his remarks by thanking Mrs. Nkechi Otti for the familiarisation visit and for delivering the commission’s report, assuring her that his team would review it thoroughly and engage further on all recommendations that would benefit the state