Ikpeazu rejects awards, chieftaincy titles …

…group demands transparency in award of contracts

CHIKA NWABUUEZE

The Chief Press Secretary to the Abia State Governor, Mr. Godwin Adindu, has declared that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, will not take or accept any award or title from any group, community or organization for now. He stressed that all those contemplating to honour him with awards should hold their peace.

Adindu who disclosed that he has received many letters and proposals from groups, organizations and communities expressing their intention to honour the governor with one award, chieftaincy title or the other, said the governor is not disposed to such accolades for now.

Mr. Adindu noted that while he appreciates the kindness, goodwill and genuine intention of such groups, he would also like to inform the general public that such accolades should be a testimony and a celebration of work and performance, adding that the people should wait for the work to be completed before rolling out drums.

He further declared that Governor Ikpeazu is determined to chart a new course and a new path for Abia State and this will involve jettisoning certain practices and ceremonies that had constituted huge distraction to governance in the past.

Adindu therefore called on the people of the state to try to discern the signs of times as things have changed.

Meanwhile, a group that operates under the aegis of Save Abia Now has called of the Abia Governor to forfeit his unaccounted security votes to pay workers salaries and also make open the process and award of the contract of seven roads in Aba.

Addressing a press conference in Umuahia over the delay in paying workers’ salaries and the proposed demolition of illegal structures in Aba, the director of media and publicity Save Abia Now, Comrade Kelechi Nkworie called on the governor to forfeit his unaccounted security votes for months to enable him pay the backlog of workers’ salaries owned by his predecessor and not cutting his salary.

The group alleged that “after one month in office, Dr Ikpeazu has not paid Abia workers’ salaries he promised to pay 24th of every month. He promised to cut his salary and transport allowance and people are shouting the Messiah has come and he goes home with over five hundred million naira monthly security vote. Yes, he is moving with jet speed and gave out about seven roads to be constructed to his political godfather and godson companies without due process for the contract award and Budgetary Allocation.

“Okezue has started failing 95% of his campaign promises to Abians. His political aids he appointed are the same people that almost led Abia to a point of extinct, and then tell me the magic he will perform, Nkworie asked.

Only recently the group called on Dr Ikpeazu to make open the state of Abia finances when he took over from Senator T. A. Orji otherwise, Abians would lead a protest to demand for it. “We challenge Dr. Ikpeazu to make open the contract process and the award sum of the Seven Roads to Abians to prove his transparency and accountability mantra to drive New Abia Agenda he is preaching, since these road contracts was not captured in the 2014 Supplementary Budget and the 2015 Abia State Appropriation Law.

“It is unfathomable that the former governor T. A. Orji left huge debts in the state so much that his successor met empty treasury and cannot pay basic salaries, let alone carry out other functions associated with the mandate.

“It seems to us and other well-meaning compatriots that our dear state is rudderless adrift due to the untoward behavior of the immediate-past governor. We make this dispassionate observation with all sense of responsibility and in fairness to this crop of Abians and for the good of our dear state.

This is a very unfortunate development, which needs to be urgently addressed in our march towards the enthronement of good governance in our dear state, we need to establish why these monies were borrowed and what were they used for?

“Were they channeled toward income-generating ventures or just white elephant projects for self aggrandizement or sheer architecture for looting?  We raise this poser because there is no presence of infrastructure in the state in respect of the huge monthly allocation and the local council funds which was managed by the out gone governor with the anointed caretaker chairmen. The Immediate-past governor must be made to render forensic accounts of his stewardship as a way of discouraging graft in the unfolding dispensation, and evolving a way of halting this form of corruption.

“Pampering governors to settle their predecessors’ debts is an ill wind that will not blow anyone any good, while the serving governor should deploy his unaccounted security vote in managing some of the challenges thrown up by his predecessor and fresh bottlenecks, especially offsetting the huge wage bill in the state.

The Save Abia Now pointed out that the cap-in-hand resort to Abuja by Chief Orji should be discontinued, and should be made to face the music. “Otherwise, we mortgage the life and future of Abians. It is obvious that “Abia Spring” looms if we continue the way we are currently going, he said.

“Everyone in government at any stratum should know that public administration is not a profit-making enterprise. It is essentially service to the people not crass acquisition of ill-gotten wealth to the detriment of the larger society. Such sleazy developments tantamount to toying with our children’s tomorrow.

On the planned demolition of houses in Aba, the group called on Ikpeazu to construct and rehabilitate already dilapidated roads in Aba which have become a nightmare than planning to demolish buildings to create more hardships for Abians, who have been inflicted with pains already. They described the proposed demolition as premeditated and insensitive to the plights of Aba residents who are “already reaping the dividends of the bad road network” in Aba as a result of the bad governance of his predecessor.

“Any demolition done without comprehensive data and study of Aba Master Plan could be termed as a political vendetta. The former government demolished marketplaces and shops along the streets in Aba in the guise to construct roads but, it was intended to pay back the residents of Aba who allegedly threw sachet water at him.

The group threatened legal action against the state government if it fails to rescind its decision, since such action will amount to breach of economic, social and cultural rights of the citizenry.