A Press Release By Abia State Chapter Of APGA
After keen observation and through analysis of all that has transpired since the inauguration of the PDP led government in Abia State, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has found grounds to doubt the vision, seriousness, and sincerity of the Okezie Ikpeazu led government in most of the actions, policies, and programs it has embarked upon so far.
Although APGA has never really expected the PDP led government to offer purposeful leadership to Abians considering it’s questionable pattern and route of emergence, yet APGA did not expect to witness this volume of administrative summersault and well packaged anti-people deceit within the short time of existence of this government, we therefore express our dislike, displeasure, and disapproval to some of these undemocratic and inglorious actions.
In upholding our philosophy of Onye Aghala Nwanne Ya, and in keeping to our revolutionary pledge during the election to protect and defend the interest and rights of Ndi Abia in the most democratic, responsible, and civilized manner, we observe and state as follows:
1. That we are appalled by the refusal of the PDP led government in Abia to disclose the true financial state of Abia to curious Abians, especially the amount owed to banks and other financial institutions by the immediate past government of T.A.Orji.
2. That if Abia’s financial state is healthy, why are Abia workers still being owed months of accumulated salary arrears, while pensioners have been completely ignored and forgotten?
3. That Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu reneged in his campaign promise and disappointed Abians by refusing to pay Abia workers on or before 24th June as he pledged, and has continued to make unholy claims on the radio as if the welfare of the suffering Abia workers does not matter.
4. That the claim by Dr. Ikpeazu that he has slashed his salary which is not up to one million naira, and yet refuses to talk about his security vote which stands at a whopping seven hundred and fifty million naira (#750 Million) monthly is a huge betrayal of Abians, especially the highly indebted and suffering Abia workers.
5. That the recent pronouncement by the government that it has gotten a loan of two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000) from the African Development Bank (ADB) is deceitful because the process and procedures of securing such a loan as provided by law require the approval of the Abia state House of Assembly, the approval of the yet to be constituted Senate Committee on Finance, and above all, the scrutiny and approval of the Federal Ministry of Finance, of course these requirements have not been met, one therefore wonders where and how the government got the initial two billion naira (#2 Billion) it claimed to have gotten from the bank.
6. That the kamlu street and Ukaegbu road which the government is executing at an outrageous cost running into billions had earlier been awarded by NDDC at the cost of #120 million and #250 million respectively, why then is the government quoting #1.2billion for the said projects?
7. That considering the level of decay in infrastructure in the state, especially Aba, we had expected the Governor to carry out a comprehensive tour, inspection, and evaluation of roads in Aba and carry out palliative measures on majority of the roads through AROMA and Abia Ministry of Works for immediate relief of our people pending the end of the rainy season, unfortunately, for reasons best known to Dr. Ikpeazu he has chosen to hastily scratch on many projects that cannot make immediate impact on the lives of the people, like the so called dredging of water side, while abandoning those projects of urgent public importance, this is indeed a misplacement of priority of the people.
8. That we are enraged that when other states of the federation are employing the services of reputable construction companies to execute projects that would stand the test of time, the PDP led government has chosen to consolidate on its marriage of secrecy and reckless plundering with the Ikuku-led New Idea Construction Company that milked Abia dry for good eight years.
9. That we are very embarrassed by Dr. Ikepeazu’s promise to spend part of the ADB loan in reconstructing port Harcourt road, without first of all initiating a probe of T.A.Orji who claimed to have built the road and even asked the Federal Government for a refund.
10. That we strongly condemn and describe as fraudulent the recent demand by Dr. Ikpeazu led government to be refunded the some of Ten Billion Naira (#10 billion) which they claimed was spent by T.A. Orji on the so-called Dualization of Osaa road in Umuahia.
11. That government is not a secret cult, neither is governance done in secrecy, therefore the PDP led government should as a matter of duty, responsibility, and frugality disclose the true financial state of Abia, especially
