Abia State Governor Alex Otti has stated that his administration will only borrow money to administer the state if absolutely necessary.
The governor made the promise in Umuahia on Wednesday during a lecture series commemorating his two years in office.
While responding to some of the lecturer’s concerns, Dr Idika Kalu, a former finance minister, stated that borrowing should not be taken lightly and that he would only borrow when absolutely necessary.
The governor stated that in order to elevate the state’s status, he needed to instil financial discipline and accountability in the system.
He mentioned that he had been paying workers and pensioners, having found that it made more economic sense to pay than to keep the money at the bank.
“We shall commit the remaining two years of this term to institutionalising the reforms that have been initiated.
“Collectively, we shall make Abia the hub of transformational ideas; we shall not be tired of listening to new ideas, for that is the path to continuous growth and progress,” Otti stated.
Otti thanked Kalu for accepting the invitation to deliver his administration’s second anniversary lecture.
Otti stated that the state put the lecture together to “talk to ourselves honestly and evaluate how far we have come, what we have done right, and what we can do better.”
