Abia State to Prosecute 11 Civil Servants for Pension Fraud

The Abia State Government has revealed plans to prosecute 11 civil servants suspected of pension fraud. Governor Alex Otti made this announcement on Thursday in Umuahia during a monthly media engagement titled “Dr. Alex Otti Speaks to Abians.”

Governor Otti emphasized his administration’s commitment to eradicating corruption, stating, “We have zero tolerance for corruption.” He confirmed that the accused individuals would face trial soon, expressing disapproval of any public support for those allegedly involved. “My question is, somebody stole, and I arrested him, and you went to the press to say I shouldn’t arrest a thief. That means you are a thief,” the governor declared.

The governor disclosed that the suspects were part of a broader pension fraud syndicate within the state’s civil service. “Once we got convincing information of the pension fraud syndicate, we arrested those involved,” he explained. The administration’s focus on cleansing the civil service is part of a larger reform effort to ensure transparency and accountability in governance.

Otti revealed that some of the suspects are currently outside Nigeria. “They are about 10 or 11,” he noted. “From the report I got, some of them are outside the country. We are going to repatriate them to answer to their sins.”

Governor Otti reaffirmed his administration’s ongoing commitment to rooting out corruption within the civil service. “We continued with our efforts to sanitise the civil service. I’m sure you would have heard some reports about civil servants involved in pension fraud. We are continuing with their prosecution,” he said. He explained that those implicated would be arraigned in court shortly to account for their actions.

In addition to the fight against corruption, Governor Otti highlighted his administration’s achievements since taking office on May 29, 2023. He disclosed that approximately N90 billion out of a total N191 billion debt inherited by the state government had already been cleared without borrowing any funds. “So far, we have not borrowed a kobo, yet we continue to fix roads, provide quality healthcare, renovate and upgrade schools, tackle security, and more,” the governor affirmed.