Abia Group Bemoans Ikpeazu’s Six Years Of Disastrous Performance In Governance
A group of concerned Abia technocrats, professionals, and businessmen under the aegis of Abia Freedom Alliance (AFA) has joined numerous other groups to berate Governor Okezie Ikpeazu over what they described as non-performance in the last six years.
The group expressed their grouse in statement titled ‘Okezie Ikpeazu At 6: Why We Must Rise To Reclaim Our State From Political Opportunists’, signed by Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, Coordinator, and four others, AFA posited that democratic governance as symbolised by PDP and Ikpeazu in Abia appear hollow, empty and hypocritical to the hard-working citizens of the state, particularly the civil servants and retiree population, and their families.
They frowned at the inability of the Ikpeazu led administration to pay workers and pensioners their salaries, gratuities and pension arrears.
“As much as we know that the pains of working on empty stomach and returning home at the end of every month to a dejected family can be quite excruciating, it pains us to acknowledge that apart from those owed months of accumulated salaries and pensions arrears by the most inconsiderate government in our history, the fate of other Abians not connected to the ‘blood tonic’ pipe in Umuahia is no better,” AFA posited.
Responding, Abia State Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu said Abia workers are largely happy with Ikpeazu for not only paying them regularly, but also being the first in the region to pay a new minimum wage.
“Pensioners are receiving payments every month even though they have long standing outstanding payments that the government hopes to defray as soon as the economy improves. In this region, Abia workers receive higher wages than others and they appreciate that and will definitely not want to be paid the same amount per level with their counterparts in other states or be downsized as others. That’s democratic governance at work.”
He described those criticising the Ikpeazu administration as helicopter politicians who do not see anything good in the government.
