Abia didn’t budget N250million for copier

The Abia State Government has clarified that it did not allocate N250 million for the purchase of a copier for its Lagos Liaison Office.

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The state government, through the State Ministry of Budget and Planning, issued a press statement on 7 February, saying that the N250 million, which appeared to be for the copier purchase, occurred from a clerical and formatting error in its 2026 Approved Budget.

The clarification follows media reports, public commentaries and social media reactions that questioned the inclusion of what appeared to be an unusually high allocation for a copier in the 2026 budget for the Lagos Liaison Office.

The reports triggered concerns about possible budget bloating, prompting the ministry to issue the explanation.

In the statement, the ministry said page 60 of the budget document published on the state budget website on 31 January shows that N210.83 million was approved for the rehabilitation and repair of residential buildings and staff quarters at the Lagos Liaison Office, while N12 million was earmarked for the procurement of one Sharp copier and other sundry office equipment.

The ministry explained that the controversy stemmed from a technical error during the final budget compilation.

“On Page 289, a misalignment of text and values took place, which inadvertently flipped the descriptions against the figures. This presented an incorrect reading,” the statement stated.

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The ministry said that the relevant agency has since been notified of the correction.

It clarified that the N250 million figure actually relates to a different, larger capital project elsewhere in the budget, which was displaced during the formatting process, and that the allocation for the copier and sundry equipment remains N12 million, as correctly stated on page 60.

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“There has been no inflation of the cost for the procurement of a copier. The error was purely clerical and presentational,” the statement said.

The ministry also explained the broader budget and procurement process, stating that the published budget is a planning document that only authorises spending up to approved limits and does not permit disbursement of funds in itself.

It said all procurements by the Abia State Government must pass through multiple layers of statutory approval, including scrutiny by the Departmental and Ministerial Tenders Boards, as well as final approval and due process certification by the Finance and General Purpose Committee and the State Executive Council.

The ministry expressed regret over the confusion caused by the formatting error and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to transparent budgeting, prudent use of public funds, and openness to public scrutiny as part of its accountability framework.