Ebonyi Govt denies budgeting ₦16bn for Abuja Liaison Office

The Ebonyi State Government has dismissed as false and misleading claims alleging that it budgeted ₦16 billion for the running of its Abuja Liaison Office.
In a statement issued by the Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media, Leo Ekene-Oketa, the government described the allegation by Chika Nwoba as “malicious, fictitious and deliberately misleading.”

According to the aide, Ebonyi State owns a property located in the Central Business District, Abuja, where a 12-storey building previously stood before it was demolished by the state government in 2016.

It explained that the ₦16 billion provision in the 2026 budget is not for the operation of the Abuja Liaison Office but strictly for the development and redevelopment of the state-owned property for the benefit of Ebonyi people.

The aide further clarified that the actual recurrent expenditure for the Abuja Liaison Office remains within its traditional range over the years, with personnel and operational costs estimated at about ₦77 million.

Reaffirming the administration’s position, Oketa stressed that Governor Nwifuru remains committed to transparency, prudent management of public funds and sustained infrastructural development across Ebonyi State.

He urged the public to disregard what he termed misleading narratives and to rely on verified official communications regarding government finances and projects.