Abia Govt blames formatting error for N250m allegedly budgeted for photocopier

By Steve Oko

The Abia State Government has debunked reports alleging that it budgeted N250 million for the purchase of a photocopier at its Lagos Liaison Office, describing the claim as misleading and the result of a formatting error in the 2026 budget document.

The clarification was contained in a statement issued at the weekend by the Abia State Ministry of Budget and Planning, which explained that only N12 million was appropriated for the procurement of a photocopier and other sundry office equipment, and not N250 million as mischievously reported by some media outlets.

According to the Ministry, the erroneous figure arose from a formatting misalignment during the final compilation of the voluminous 2026 Appropriation Document.

“The claim that Abia State appropriated N250 million for a photocopier is mischievous and completely false,” the statement said, urging members of the public to disregard what it described as misleading media reports.

The Ministry stressed that the administration of Governor Alex Otti remains firmly committed to transparency, accountability, and prudent management of public funds, noting that it would not engage in wasteful or unjustifiable spending.

“The Ministry regrets the confusion caused by the formatting misalignment and assures the public that our commitment to transparency remains unwavering,” the statement read.

“We encourage citizens to continue to have confidence in the established financial control systems that govern all public expenditures. This administration remains committed to transparent budgeting and prudent use of public funds and welcomes public scrutiny as part of its accountability framework.”

Providing verifiable details for public clarification, the Ministry explained that the 2026 budget was published on its official website on January 31, 2026, in line with the government’s transparency policy.

It noted that on Page 60 of the budget document, the correct provisions are clearly stated as follows:
N210,831,142.00 for the rehabilitation and repair of residential buildings and staff quarters at the Lagos Liaison Office.

It said only N12,000,000.00  was provided for the procurement of one Sharp photocopier and other sundry office equipment for the liaison office.

However, the Ministry said that on Page 289, a technical error occurred during the final layout process, causing a misalignment of figures and descriptions.

“This clerical error inadvertently flipped the descriptions against the figures, resulting in an incorrect interpretation,” the statement explained.

It clarified that the N250 million figure beside the photocopier item on Page 289 actually belongs to a separate, much larger capital project elsewhere in the budget, not to the procurement of office equipment.

“The budgetary provision for the copier and sundry equipment remains N12 million as correctly stated on Page 60. There has been no cost inflation whatsoever. The error was purely presentational,” the Ministry added.

Shedding further light on the budgeting and procurement process, the Ministry emphasized that the published budget represents only estimates and spending limits, and that it does not automatically translate into fund disbursement.

“No funds can be released for any procurement based solely on budgetary estimates,” it said.

The statement outlined the multiple layers of scrutiny every procurement must undergo, including: Review and approval by the Departmental Tenders Board; Further vetting by the Ministerial Tenders Board; and Final approval and due process certification by the Finance and General Purpose Committee (F&GPC) and the State Executive Council.

“These safeguards are designed to ensure fiscal responsibility, value for money, and transparency in the use of taxpayers’ funds. Any procurement that fails to justify its cost or comply with due process will not be approved, regardless of budgetary provision,” the statement concluded.

Vanguard News

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