Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has said that the state House of Assembly has given him the green light to spend additional N150 billion in Supplementary Budget for the 2025 fiscal year.

He made this known at the weekend during his monthly media interaction with the state journalists, saying that the Assembly had already passed the Supplementary Budget which entailed amending the 2025 Appropriation Law.

Though Otti did not elaborate on the supplementary budget, it was gathered that he asked for additional N150 billion and promptly received approval from the lawmakers with bill sailing through without amendment.

He stated that his administration remained committed in pursuit of its goal of building an Abia State economy that operates round the clock through the light-up Abia project.

According to him, “Allowing the economy to sleep at night would not make it grow to the level he has envisioned for the state hence the need to keep the state aglow at night.

“We are working hard to make night economy work (in Abia State). The longer people stay awake, the more business you transact, and therefore, more money is made (thereby growing the economy).”

Otti also reiterated that the youth empowerment programme of his government is not palliative-based as such approach would only yield temporary relief without giving the beneficiaries sustainable livelihoods.

“We have chosen a different path to youth empowerment. This is because culturally, our people do not believe in handouts,” he said.

According to him, people need to be empowered in the real sense of empowerment instead of fostering a culture of palliatives.

The governor said that he has initiated sustainable youth empowerment programmes, including talent hunt, leadership training, enterprise and fashion programme, as better alternative to distribution of palliatives.

He said that under the leadership training programme, 1,000 Abia youths are undergoing training that would ultimately transform their lives as they would not only acquire leadership skills but also mentored by role models and given the wings to fly.

Otti currently has hands full of ongoing projects but with the approval of the supplementary budget, the implementation of the projects is expected to get further boost.

Already, the implementation of Abia’s 2025 budget outlay of N750.3 billion tagged ‘Budget of Sustained Momentum’, has resulted in noticeable infrastructural transformation of the state.

However, six months into the 2025 fiscal year, the governor saw the need to inject additional funds into the state expenditure and had proceeded to the legislature to approve his Supplementary Budget.

The lawmakers, who are now three weeks into their recess, had passed into law the 2025 Supplementary Appropriation Bill cited as HAB 33, without attracting media attention, hence Otti’s mention of the already passed bill took most people by surprise.

The Executive Bill, which was sponsored by the Majority Leader of the Assembly, Hon. Okoro Uchenna Kalu, was given accelerated hearing with both first and second reading concluded in one fell swoop.

Kalu had described the Supplementary Budget bill as “straight forward”, saying that it was meant for the services of Abia State Government for the year ending December 2025.

He profusely explained the merits of the supplementary bill and urged every member of the Assembly to give their support, citing the development activities of Governor Otti across the state, especially in the area of infrastructure. (THISDAY)