Abia State Governor, Alex Otti has said that his administration will only borrow money to run the state when it is absolutely necessary.
The governor made the vow in Umuahia on Wednesday during a lecture series to mark his two years in office.
Otti, while responding to some of the issues raised by the lecturer, Dr Idika Kalu, a onetime Finance Minister, said borrowing was not to be done recklessly adding that he would only borrow when necessary.
The governor said he had to inculcate financial discipline and responsibility in the system to get the state to a greater level.
He said he had been paying workers and pensioners having found that it made more economic sense to pay than to keep the money at the bank.
“We shall commit the remaining two years of this term to institutionalizing the reforms that have been initiated.
“Collectively, we shall make Abia the hub of transformational ideas; we shall not be tired of listening to new ideas, for that is the path to continuous growth and progress,” Otti stated.
The governor thanked Dr Kalu for accepting to deliver the second anniversary lecture of his administration.
Otti said the state put the lecture together to “talk to ourselves honestly and evaluate how far we have come, what we have done right, and what we can do better.”
In his lecture, the one-time Minister of Finance, urged the governor to borrow to expand the projects that would create value for the state.
The octogenarian maintained that such borrowing was not bad once it was done in the interest of the state.
The lecture was titled : Two years of transformation; Sustaining the momentum”.
Kalu also urged Otti to use the media in major roles in his development efforts because of their powers to cause change.
“The media can help this nation get back to life so don’t give them minor roles but give them key roles,” Kalu said.
Kalu commended Otti for his numerous projects some of which he said he had seen delivered while some are still ongoing.
He urged the government to always abide by the rule of law and to show examples of how things should be done rightly and uprightly.
Kalu harped on the need to punish errant persons who instilled impunity in the society noting that a society where impunity reigned was not modernized. (NAN)