Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has revealed how sweeping financial reforms under his administration uncovered ghost workers and shut down fraudulent bank accounts that had drained the state’s resources for years.

Speaking at the 2025 Ngwa Convention in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, the governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Caleb Ajagba, said the introduction of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) at the beginning of his tenure was the masterstroke that changed Abia’s financial landscape.

According to him, the TSA enabled a thorough cleanup of the state’s payroll system, verified workers, eliminated ghost names, and transitioned government payments into a fully digital structure.

“In the early days of this administration, the Treasury Single Account was introduced. This cleaned up payrolls through verification to remove ghost workers and moved us to digital payment systems. The implication is that several fraudulent bank accounts maintained by MDAs across the state that could not be accounted for were closed, thus ushering in better management and use of public funds,” Otti said.

The governor noted that the gains from the reform have strengthened the state’s ability to pay workers and pensioners regularly while freeing up resources for investments in health, education, security, and infrastructure.

Beyond financial reforms, Governor Otti assured Abians in the diaspora that security has improved significantly with the establishment of Operation Crush, a joint security task force that has reduced kidnappings and violent crimes across the state.

“Abia today is safer than ever. With Operation Crush, incidences of kidnapping and violent crimes have been cut down drastically. We want our people in the diaspora to feel confident to invest back home,” he assured.

He commended the Ngwa clan in the diaspora for their contributions to Abia’s growth and urged them to further support his administration by bringing investments home.

Governor Otti emphasized that with transparency, fiscal discipline, and a renewed focus on security, Abia State is now positioned for sustainable growth and prosperity.