Prince Paul Ikonne, a prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) figure in Abia State, has accused Governor Alex Otti of attempting to manipulate laws that would allow him to continue controlling local government finances at his discretion.

Speaking on Television Continental (TVC), Ikonne, who formerly served as Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), claimed that Otti is among the governors defying President Bola Tinubu’s directive on Local Government Autonomy.

Ikonne contrasted the situation in Abia with that in Lagos State, where local government councils are actively implementing projects. “In Lagos, local governments are building schools and health centers, with council-elected chairmen and councillors executing programs directly for the people. Local government is meant to be closer to the citizens—farmers, widows, the disabled, and the less privileged,” he stated.

He further accused the Abia State administration of seeking legal loopholes to misuse local government funds. “The governor is reportedly trying to amend existing laws or create new ones that will give him unchecked control over local government resources,” Ikonne asserted.

Challenging Governor Otti to account for the use of LG funds, Ikonne said, “As a Labour Party-led government, one would expect transparency and effective management. But in Abia, the local government system has been weakened to the point that you cannot point to a single project executed by the local government authority. This is why many Abians and Nigerians remain skeptical of the party in power in the state.”

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