Two years into the life of the current administration of Gov. Alex Otti in Abia State, south-east Nigeria, an environmental rights and advocacy body has come down with both commendations and hard knocks for the administration, as it marks its 2nd year anniversary.

Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), Nigeria, in a recent release dated May 29, 2025, signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor and made available to NEWS EXPRESS, heartily commended the Otti-led administration's impressive efforts with visible, notable improvements in areas like environmental sanitation, waste management, and infrastructure renewal in its first two years.

However, they are disturbed that the Otti-led administration has paid little or no attention to deep seated and increasing state "issues of fiscal indiscipline, lack of transparency in public procurement under the current administration," they observed.

Commending the Abia State government on areas like improvements in state environmental sanitation, waste management, and infrastructure renewal, as seen in the "massive desilting of drainage systems, street beautification, and investment in road infrastructure, especially within Umuahia and Aba, FENRAD said such efforts "signalled a commendable commitment to urban renewal and environmental sustainability," on the part of the state government.

"These efforts have enhanced the aesthetic appeal and health conditions of the state's urban areas, aligning with global sustainable development goals," the group admitted.

However, FENRAD expressed deep concern over "issues of fiscal discipline and transparency in public procurement under the current Gov. Otti's administration."

According to them, there is currently a lack of detailed information on contracts awarded, projects costing, procurement bidding processes, and all these "raises serious questions about public accountability."

They called for the carrying along of citizens and civil society organisations that have long been left in the dark by the government regarding how public funds are expended in the state, especially in major capital projects, and decried recent allegations of contract inflation and sole-sourcing methods, employed by the state government, requesting from the government, an "urgent clarification from the relevant ministries and oversight agencies."

FENRAD said Abia State as a signatory to the Open Government Partnership (OGP) is fully committed to the principles of transparency, civic participation, and accountability and therefore questions "the continuous opacity surrounding procurement and budget implementation," in the state, saying such "violates both domestic procurement laws and global best practices."

Going forward, FENRAD advised: "the State Public Procurement Law should be fully operationalized and monitored through the establishment of an independent procurement council and the publication of procurement plans and contract awards on official platforms accessible to the public."

To strengthen public trust and democratic governance, FENRAD while reaffirming its commitment to engaging constructively with government institutions, the media, development partners, and anti-graft agencies in support of efforts aimed at institutionalizing transparency, prevent misuse of public funds, and uphold democratic accountability in governance processes, also urged the Otti administration to adopt "proactive disclosure mechanisms, ensure citizens? access to procurement and fiscal documents, and support the operationalization of the Abia State Audit Law and Fiscal Responsibility Framework.

FENRAD vowed to support all efforts aimed at institutionalizing transparency, accountability, prevent misuse of public funds, and uphold democratic accountability in governance processes."

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