The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has criticized Abia state Governor, Okezie ikpeazu of alleged sharing of Prado Jeeps to the seventeen local government council chairmen in the state.
The party, in a statement issued to newsmen by the Abia State chairman, Reverend Augustine Ehiemere, and forwarded to DAILY POST on Wednesday morning, said the action of the governor was provocative and highly disrespectful to the suffering citizens of the state, especially thousands of starving civil servants and pensioners whose situations keep becoming pathetic on a daily basis.
Recall that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu had last week, as parts of his birthday celebration, distributed multi-million Naira Prado Jeeps to the 17 local government council chairmen in Abia state.
Parts of the APGA statement reads, “The attention of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Abia state has been drawn to the latest thoughtless and tactless action of governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state who in continuation of his acts of financial recklessness shared brand new Toyota Prado Jeeps to the Seventeen L.G. A Chairmen of the state a few days ago.
“Just like other citizens of the state who have roundly condemned this jamboree of an insensitive governor, we feel very sad and disappointed, and thus state as follows:
“That the sharing of such expensive jeeps that is between Fifty Million Naira (N50M) and above per vehicle at this time is the highest display of leadership insensitivity to the plight of Abians and clearly presents the governor as one whose leadership priorities are misplaced, and dangerously wrapped in destructive selfishness.
“That while Dr. Ikpeazu celebrated his birthday amid pomp and pageantry, and dashed those vehicles like Christmas flowers, he didn’t bother to pause and ponder about the welfare and fate of those millions of Abians who are struggling to provide three square meals for their families.
“That LGA Chairmen as Chief Executives of the third tier of government, with constitutional independence and approved budgets, are not appointees of the governor and thus do not fall in the category of government officials who should be beneficiaries of such gestures; suffice it to say that it’s either the Ikpeazu led government has been dipping its hand illegally into the treasury of the Local Councils, or that he is wasting such resources on the LGA Chairmen for ulterior motives that may not be unconnected to his desperate quest for undeserved reelection come 2019.
“The fact that a governor who has consistently hinged his failure to pay workers and pensioners, as well as execute meaningful projects on paucity of funds, had the mind to waste up to a billion naira (N 1Billion) in purchase of such expensive jeeps, shows that Ikpeazu is determined to exhibit anti people meanness and ruthlessness in pursuit of a doomed reelection ambition, more than he is ready to use the resources of the people in giving them responsible leadership. This should awaken the consciousness of Abians of all classes, and strengthen their resolve to end the Ikpeazu leadership tragedy come 2019.
“That we urge the LGA Chairmen to allow truth, justice and empathy prevail over selfish interest by voluntarily returning those jeeps which are akin to blood money to governor Okezie Ikpeazu, even as we appeal to the governor to sell off those jeeps and use the proceeds to tackle pressing needs of the people.
“Finally, we wish to remind Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu that Abia is not, and can never be his personal estate where self propelled acts of selfishness and gross misconduct as being witnessed presently can go unchallenged and unpunished. He must give account of his stewardship, if not today, certainly tomorrow, because no evil has ever gone unpunished.
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