The Abia state government has attributed the N210 million allocation listed for the purchase of a photocopier in its 2026 budget to a technical error that occurred during the final compilation of the document.
The clarification follows public criticism and commentary over the controversial allocation.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the state ministry of budget and planning said the amount was never meant for the purchase of a photocopier.
According to the ministry, the “figure that appeared beside the photocopier item on page 289 is not the provision for a photocopier”.
“It is, in fact, the value for a different, larger capital project elsewhere in the budget, which was displaced by a formatting error,” the statement said.
The ministry explained that the actual budget for the photocopier and sundry office equipment remains ₦12,000,000, as correctly stated on page 60 of the document.
It added that all procurements must follow due process, including reviews by the relevant tenders boards and final approval by the finance and general purpose committee as well as the state executive council.
“On page 60 of the document, the correct provisions are clearly stated as follows: ₦210,831,142.00 was allocated for the rehabilitation and repair of residential buildings and staff quarters for the Lagos liaison office, while ₦12,000,000.00 was provided for the procurement of one Sharp photocopier and other sundry office equipment for the liaison office,” the statement said.
The ministry explained that a technical error during the final compilation of the voluminous budget document led to a misalignment of text and figures on page 289, resulting in the descriptions being wrongly matched with the amounts.
It noted that the affected agency has since been informed of the correction.
The ministry maintained that there was no inflation in the cost of the photocopier, describing the issue as a purely clerical and presentational error.
It apologised for the confusion and reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, fiscal discipline, and accountability in the management of public funds.
