The Abia State Government in Nigeria’s South-East has failed to bring about any meaningful change in the fortunes of oil communities in the state despite collecting at least N46.4 billion on their behalf in five years.

“Records available with us indicate that the state collected about N22.548 billion as 15 percent derivation funds and N10.857 billion as excess crude allocation, while NNPC refunded N12.972 billion to the state,” reports the Lagos-based Supreme newspaper.

“Investigations also show that this amount was released to the government from 2007 to September 2012, and it is not part of the usual monthly allocation from the federal government. This implies that with the federal allocation, the state government has collected about N350 billion,” the paper further says.

The Supreme observed that the Abia State Government under Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji has failed to impact meaningfully on the state despite the huge receipts.

The Orji administration is generally rated as one of the worst in Nigeria. News Express shall publish the state government’s reaction tomorrow as put forward by Orji’s Chief Press Secretary, Ugochukwu Emezue.

•Photo shows Governor T. A. Orji.