By Steve Oko
Abia State Governor Alex Otti has disclosed that investigations into the alleged ₦10 billion fake Abia airport project are still ongoing, revealing that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) continues to invite individuals linked to the alleged scam.
The governor spoke on Friday night during his monthly media parley in Umuahia, where he dismissed claims that the matter had been swept under the carpet.
“The EFCC is still working on the audio airport. Some people are still being invited, and at the end of the investigation, anyone found culpable will face the consequences,” Otti said.
Shortly after assuming office, Otti accused his predecessor, Okezie Ikpeazu, of allegedly expending state resources on a non-existent airport project, challenging him to either produce the airport or account for the funds.
Meanwhile, Governor Otti issued a one-week ultimatum for the commencement of reconstruction work on the Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene Federal Road, which the Abia State Government took over late last year.
Expressing surprise that work had yet to begin months after the road was flagged off, Otti directed the Commissioner for Works, Otumchere Oti, to ensure that construction starts “unfailingly by next week.”
The governor also announced plans by his administration to dredge the Aba River down to Azumini Blue River as part of efforts to boost tourism and protect the environment.
He lamented the practice by some factories in Aba of discharging industrial waste into the river, warning that such actions endanger aquatic life and public health.
“It is a punishable offence to empty industrial waste into a flowing river. Any factory caught doing so will face the full weight of the law,” he warned.
Governor Otti said the dredging project would complement plans to develop a leisure and entertainment hub at Azumini Blue River, aimed at repositioning the Enyimba Hotel as a major tourism destination.
“We are planning a leisure and entertainment centre at Azumini Blue River to make Enyimba Hotel a centre of attraction,” he said.
He explained that the Abia State Government holds 80 per cent equity in the hotel, while 20 per cent belongs to the original investors, and that Radisson Blu, a reputable international hotel management company, would manage the facility.
On transportation, Otti disclosed that the state’s electric buses for urban mass transit, which commenced free-service operations in December 2025, would begin charging fares from March 1.
According to him, fares will be ₦700–₦800 for trips from Umuahia to Aba, and ₦1,000 from Umuahia to Ohafia, noting that all payments would be made digitally, as cash transactions would not be accepted.
The post EFCC still probing Abia ‘audio airport’ — Otti appeared first on Vanguard News.
