* Ikpeazu 

By Tony Icheku, Abuja
Finally, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, the major opposition party in the State has risen in indignation. The parlous state of affairs in Abia State, gradual collapse of governance and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu's inhumanity  to workers  has provoked the conscience of APGA. indeed the opposition party 
has not only woken up from its sleep, it has bared its fangs.

 APGA, pained by the plight of workers and pensioners who are  being owed over eight months arrears of salaries warned that if the trend continues, “we shall be left with no choice than to approach the Federal Government and the National Assembly to consider taking over the process of payment of Abia workers’ salaries, since Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu and the PDP have completely but willingly brought governance  to a halt in Abia.”

 The opposition party said although it was aware of the parlous state of the economy nationwide,  Abia still receives substantial allocation to fulfill its obligations of salary payment and even execute projects if the State resources was managed  prudently.

 Thus APGA, rising from its State Executive Council, SEC deliberation has realised that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu-led administration has failed  to show “courage and capacity in charting a new and well-thought-out democratic course.” 

 The State APGA chairman, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere specifically noted  Gov. Ikpeazu's indifference and lackadaisical 
attitude to workers and pensioners who have not been paid for over eight months in some instances.

 Ehiemere reminded Gov Ikpeazu that the  primary responsibilities of gvernment include  payment of workers’ and pensioners salaries as well as provision of infrastructure.

 He wondered why Ikpeazu has failed woefully in these departments. Putting two and two together, Ehiemere queried where the whereabout of the over N58 billion so far accruing to Abia since Ikpeazu's emergence.

 "The Ikpeazu administration received over N60 billion revenue in one year and spent N28 billion on wages, but  projects on ground do not reflect the balance of the money" the party boss alleged

 Indeed, Ehiemere is echoing the populist sentiment that Abia is currently rudderless and wobbling. Abians are demoralised by the infrastructural decay, urban and environmental retrogression  and bad governance unleashed on them by the Ikpeazu administration.

 “There are glaring traces of mis-governance and misappropriation of funds widely suspected in Abia”,  alleges Ehiemere

 Maybe Abians had forgotten, but Ehiemere is bringing it to the front burner once more, reminding them of Ikpeazu junketing all over Europe and the Americas
in search of foreign investors.

 He noted that since no foreign dollar has been invested in Abia, Ikpeazu must have embarked on "a mere jamboree to  fritter away Abia's meagre resources."

  He recalled that when Ikpeazu assumed office, he was globe-trotting with a retinue of aides and associates, claiming to be shopping for investors.

 “Unfortunately,” Ehiemere said, “up till this moment, not even a single investor has been sighted in any part of Abia after millions of Naira of tax payers money has been frittered away.”

 “We know that Ikpeazu and the PDP were not interested in bringing investors, else they would have confronted the challenges that discourage investors like multiple taxation, insecurity, etc, with appreciable seriousness,” he added

 The party boss argued that  “the Ikpeazu government has taken the disastrous path to failure by completely abandoning its primary responsibilities to the people of the state.

 “The little few road projects on ground which are the only achievements of the present government, cannot in anyway justify the aforementioned revenue gotten by government”

 APGA went further to allege that there is a “complete halt in government activities at the local government areas, LGAs in the State, especially in the areas of project execution and payment of local government workers’ salaries.

 “This shows that the allocation being given to these LGAs  develop wings immediately they are received by the State.

 “Unfortunately, this unjust practice has continued unabated while the people at the grassroots suffer untold hardship as a result of under-development. 

 The party was also of the view that “the complete halt and inactivity of the state, in spite of continuous inflow of revenues gives credence to the allegation of diversion of funds belonging to Abia by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led government.”

 It  further argued that Abia would have been accessing greater volumes of internally-generated revenue if the government had blocked all leakages.

 Ehiemere also queried the genuineness of the State government in procuring the N1 billion World Bank agricultural loan as “nothing has been heard of the money again since the state government got hold of it,” describing the development as “sabotage against farmers who were in dire need of funds".