UMUAHIA: Governor Alex Otti has said his administration deliberately chose not to aggressively pursue internally generated revenue since taking office in 2023, insisting that rebuilding critical sectors and improving the business climate had to come before imposing additional tax burdens on residents.
The governor made this known while receiving a delegation from BudgIT Foundation at the Government House in Umuahia.
According to Otti, his administration inherited a state struggling with decayed infrastructure, poor healthcare, weak educational systems and serious environmental challenges, making it necessary to focus first on restoring essential services and creating a conducive atmosphere for businesses to grow.
He said many sectors were in near collapse when he assumed office, noting that most of the state’s primary healthcare centres were non-functional, while environmental conditions had deteriorated significantly.
Under such circumstances, he explained, the immediate priority was to create room for economic activity to flourish rather than intensify revenue collection from citizens.
Otti said taxation should reflect the prosperity government helps create among its people, stressing that residents cannot be expected to contribute more when businesses and livelihoods are under strain.
The governor disclosed that Abia had projected ₦120 billion in internally generated revenue for 2025 but realised about ₦70 billion. For the current fiscal year, the state has set a target of ₦220 billion, though he acknowledged that the government may still fall short of that figure.
Despite this, he said the administration was not obsessed with competition over revenue generation, adding that its main concern remained whether citizens were experiencing better living conditions, improved access to schools and healthcare, and stronger business opportunities.
Otti also reaffirmed his commitment to transparency and accountability, describing prudent use of public funds as a non-negotiable principle of his administration.
He said the government had severed ties with some individuals over transparency-related issues and maintained that public resources must be managed responsibly.
The governor assured the BudgIT delegation of his readiness to work with the organisation to strengthen fiscal openness and accountability in the state.
Speaking during the visit, Oluseun Onigbinde commended the administration’s reforms and commitment to fiscal transparency, while the organisation’s Country Director, Vahyala Kwaga said Abia had moved from 17th to fourth position in the 2025 fiscal transparency ranking, describing the progress as significant.
