The Abia State Ministry of Budget and Planning has clarified issues surrounding certain line items relating to the Lagos Liaison Office in the published 2026 Appropriation Law, attributing the controversy to a technical formatting error.
In a statement issued on February 7, 2026, the Ministry explained that its attention had been drawn to public commentaries questioning figures contained in the 2026 Fiscal Year Budget, particularly provisions linked to the Lagos Liaison Office.
The Ministry stated that the 2026 Budget was officially published on its website on January 31, 2026, in line with the state government’s commitment to transparency and public access to fiscal documents.
According to the statement, the correct provisions are clearly captured on Page 60 of the budget document. A total sum of N210,831,142.00 was earmarked for the rehabilitation and repair of the residential building and staff quarters of the Lagos Liaison Office. In addition, N12,000,000.00 was allocated for the procurement of one Sharp copier and other sundry office equipment for the liaison office.
The Ministry, however, acknowledged that a technical error occurred during the final compilation of the voluminous budget document. It explained that on Page 289, a misalignment of text and figures inadvertently flipped descriptions against the corresponding amounts, thereby creating an incorrect impression.
It further clarified that the N250,000,000.00 figure that appeared beside the copier item on Page 289 does not represent the cost of procuring a copier. Rather, the amount relates to a separate and larger capital project elsewhere in the budget, which was displaced due to the formatting error. The Ministry noted that the relevant agency has been notified and corrections have been effected.
“We categorically state that there has been no inflation of the cost for the procurement of a copier. The error was purely clerical and presentational,” the statement emphasized.
Beyond addressing the specific discrepancy, the Ministry also used the opportunity to educate the public on the state’s budgetary and procurement processes. It explained that the published budget is fundamentally a planning document that outlines estimates and spending intentions, authorizing expenditures up to specified limits. It does not, by itself, permit automatic disbursement of funds.
The Ministry stressed that every procurement undertaken by the Abia State Government must comply with established financial regulations and pass through multiple layers of approval. These include scrutiny and clearance by the Departmental Tenders Board, further review by the Ministerial Tenders Board, and final approval and due process certification by the Finance and General Purpose Committee (F&GPC) as well as the State Executive Council.
According to the Ministry, these mechanisms serve as critical guardrails to ensure fiscal discipline, value for money, and transparency in the management of public funds. It maintained that no procurement that fails to justify its cost or comply with due process requirements can be approved, irrespective of any initial budgetary provision.
The Ministry expressed regret over the confusion caused by the formatting misalignment and reaffirmed its commitment to transparent budgeting and prudent financial management. It encouraged citizens to maintain confidence in the state’s financial control systems and welcomed public scrutiny as part of its accountability framework.
