A governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in Abia state, Ambassador Chidike Ukauwa, has warned Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to be mindful of how he squanders the taxpayers money, to avoid being thrown to jail for corruption.
Ukauwa wondered why the Abia governor could not clear backlogs of salaries owed civil servants in the state, saying that the governor has a lot to explain to the people of the state, regarding the present financial status of Abia.
He gave the warning at a press conference held in his office in Umuahia, the state capital on Tuesday.
The APC chieftain expressed worry over the salient looting of public funds by the PDP-led administration in Abia despite its failure to fix the infrastructural decays in the state.
He called on the government to imbibe the spirit of transparency and prudence in the distribution of the resources of the state.
According to the governorship hopeful,”If The lion, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe can be arrested and other ex-governors can be jailed, I am advising Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and others to be warned. The prison door is there for every looter who thinks Abia is a personal property”.
“Look at Abia today, the state cannot boast of any tangible projects, despite the huge allocation accrued to the state for its infrastructural development. Moribund projects litter around Umuahia and Abia.
“Abians don’t even know how much money is coming to the state’s coffer through the government’s promotion of Made in Aba products. There are a lot of issues demanding for explanation”.
” The government has been receiving huge sums of allocations, they have failed to fix the infrastructural decays in the state. Refuse dumps heaped around the state capital”.
“From Umudike junction, Ikot Ekpene road and Umuahia, there is no light. Aba road, no light. Azikwe road, no light. Umuwaya road, no light. Kaduna street, no light. All the street-lights mounted on these major areas in the state capital are not functional.”
“In fact, there is a total collapse of governance in Abia state. All well meaning Abians should rise up and ask questions. The level of looting going on in Abia is unprecedented.
“The governor should be careful on how he is wasting public funds,saying he is rebuilding the state. He should explain to the people how much money that have been injected in the so-called Osisioma Aba flyover”.
Ukauwa, however, lauded the successes recorded by the President Muhammad Buhari-led government anti-corruption crusade, ranging from conviction of two governors for corruption and the recovery of stolen money from the officials of the immediate past PDP-led federal government in the country.
He called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,EFCC, to beam its searchlights on the officials of the Abia state government, whom he alleged, have milked the common resources of the people of the state.
Meanwhile, as at the time of this report, the Special Adviser to the Abia state governor, on Media, Ugochukwu Emezue could not be reached on phone for his comment.
But, a former Local Government Area chairman and a chieftain of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Barrister Suleiman Ukandu in a interview with DAILY POST on Tuesday, said that transparency and accountability had been the hallmarks of the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu-led administration in Abia state.
According to the politician,”The governor has been prudent with the resources of the state. The government embarked on massive road constructions and rehabilitation. We have constructed and opened a lot of access roads in the state.
“Aba has been placed in the world map of international market. The government has continued to encourage promotion of local products especially made in Aba products. Aba products are being patronized now. Some youths from the state have been trained in China to acquire skills in leather and shoe production”.
” So as far the state is concerned, come 2019, there is no vacancy in Abia Government House”.
“Governor Ikpeazu will win again to enable him complete his eight years”.
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