A leading civil society group in Abia State, Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development, FENRAD, a pro-democracy and environmental rights advocacy group, has called on the Abia State governor, Dr Alex Otti to go after those behind the conversion of public schools in Aba as private properties.
This is even as the group condemned in its entirety the looting spree that marked the end of the immediate past administration in the State.
The Foundation said it became alarmed following various calls by Governor Otti, urging public and official servants, including appointees who appropriated public properties to themselves at the twilight of the last administration.
In a statement signed by the Executive Director of the group, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor said FENRAD had in an earlier release observed how public schools and hospitals were being converted to private businesses, including schools losing some land portion converted to other uses, even the religious.
This, according to FENRAD, is a sad development considering that all of these gadgets or equipment were purchased with taxpayers’ money, not personal money.
The full statement read:
“Again, FENRAD worries because Abia had fallen on hard times with debt stock both foreign and domestic limiting budgetary performance, this is not the time for the state government to fritter resources away on what had been looted.
“Already the infrastructure gap in Abia is deficit and huge, requiring therefore that no single attention be diverted to official looting of public property and equipment. Already, Abia treasury looks lean, so what use is looting of public properties in health institutions, government offices and departments.
“FENRAD calls on Governor Alex Otti to, in the economic interest of the state, go the extra mile in meeting out due punitive measures on the perpetrators of this act. The Foundation also wishes to use this medium to urge that activities of certain headmasters and headmistresses be reviewed.
“This is call follows as a result of the lawless and reckless conversion of school and public building to repurposed religious centres and churches.
“Lastly, FENRAD understands the logic behind government placing a no-post-debit on all Abia accounts, which to the Foundation believe will help the new government normalise authority. Same goes to the interim suspension of use of tax force not approved by the government to collect taxes.
“Abia revenue, which we have over the years studied, is shrinking and needs to be shored up to help budget performance and financing. The last tax regime, which by the way enthroned and contracted taxation out to unprofessional bodies, left a lot of leakages and loopholes.
“While the state quoted internal revenue to fall within ₦14bn annually, using its indices and blueprint, the Foundation is doubly convinced the state was in the intervening years shortchanged. Only flying revenues, if harmonised, can near or more than halve that figure.
“That said, we wish to call on all the MDAs and various permanent secretaries and heads of board as presently reconstituted, to work in the interest of the state towards achieving stability in fiscal and financial policies of the state.
“This period, in the history of the state, calls for financial discipline and disclosure; not secrecy. It is our belief that the government will in time relax the restriction on the account and restructure taxation to create buffer around social security and other such investment capable of lifting Abians out of poverty as the state has fallen on hard times.
