Senator Orji Kalu has said that Abia State did not have up to N1 billion when he became governor in 1999.
Kalu said this on Tuesday while testifying in his N7.6 billion money laundering case before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
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The absence of Kalu’s lawyer, Awa Kalu, in court on Monday had stalled proceedings resulting in adjournment till Tuesday.
The former Abia governor said he had difficulties running the state with allocations from the Federal Government.
He said: “Abia State doesn’t have such money; even the day I was leaving the office, the state borrowed money to pay salaries. Abia State didn’t have even a billion naira in any account at the time I was governor.
“The monthly allocation of Abia State when I took over in June 1999 was N168 million. It was averaging between N168 million and N172 million monthly. The first month that I came in, there was even no money to buy diesel. I spent my own money to run the state for six months.
“In the year 2000, monthly allocation was between N170 million and N189 million. In 2001, it came to about N302 million and N380 million. I can recollect in 2002, it was almost the same and in 2003 when the revenue allocation was changed, we were having about N400 million.
“The highest money I got as governor came from 2004 when we had about N1 billion and from that time up till May 2007 before I left, what we had was N1.6 billion.
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“Throughout my stay in office, I never owed workers and pensioners. When I took over as governor and before I left, we moved it up to N500 million. It was from this that we were able to do a lot of things.”
Justice Idris Mohammed adjourned till Wednesday for continuation of hearing.
