Abia State governor, Alex Otti, has clarified the controversial provision of N1.5 billion for the purchase of two Hilux vans in the State’s 2024 budget. Otti attributed the discrepancy to a software glitch generated by the Excel package used in preparing the fiscal document.
Speaking on Tuesday in the commercial city of Aba, Otti addressed questions from journalists, responding to an online news platform’s report that the state government budgeted N1.5 billion for the purchase of two Toyota Hilux vans in the 2024 budget. The breakdown of the budget outlined allocations of N5,946,756,437 for the purchase of motor vehicles, N2,704,980,600 for vans, N949,000,000 for trucks, and N3,011,804,906 for buses.
While visiting Eziukwu Road Market in Aba to sympathize with traders who lost goods in a fire incident on Monday, Governor Otti acknowledged the error and explained that he cross-checked the figures after the report. He discovered a mix-up and promptly consulted the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, who confirmed that it was an issue with the Excel software, affecting the accuracy of the figures.
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