By UCHE DIALA
Apparently Governor Ikpeazu wants to play an ‘Ortom’ in Abia State.
Unfortunately for him he has no ready made Fulani herdsmen card to use to justify his failures in Abia like Ortom does his in Benue State.
#Read The Minority Leader, Abia State House of Assembly and member representing Bende North State Constituency, Hon Chijioke Chukwu, in response to the comment credited to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu that the Federal Government has impeded infrastructural development in Abia State and you should be the judge.
He said: “We feel maligned considering the various interventions Federal Government has made in Abia State and South East.
“I think the Governor got it wrong because I can confidently tell you that no state in the South East has benefitted from the magnanimity of the APC led government than Abia State.
“I think the challenge with Abia is that the state’s resources have been poorly managed. A lot of fraudulent avenues have been deliberately created to shortchange Abians and funds released by the Federal Government are diverted by state government officials to either purchase houses abroad or deliberately launder these resources out of the country.
“The statement credited to my Governor is meant to divert attention from the main issues and failures of PDP led government in Abia State.
“I make bold to say that the Governor is not sincere with Abians about what the Federal Government has done in the state.
“…of the 6 years of the PDP led administration in Abia State, there is no totally home made, home grown, welfarist intervention to Abians except that made by the Federal Government.
“If you look at the past 6 years in Abia, the Federal Government has either constructed or renovated over 80% of Abia Primary and Junior Secondary Schools, through ASUBEB intervention. When they talk about ASUBEB they make it look like a home made state government to rebuild schools, it is not true, 75% of funds used for either construction or renovations of these schools, come from the Federal Government, state government only pays 25% counterpart fund.
“On the school feeding program, it’s totally Federal Government intervention to primary and Junior Secondary Schools, state government is not contributing one Kobo.
“In Abia due to the intervention of the federal government by giving Abia state special attention in areas of erosion control and road construction, our federal lawmakers have constructed more rural roads than the state government.
“In Abia North for example, there is no where in you will find good network of rural roads more than in Abia North, go and look at what Senator Orji Kalu is doing is Arochukwu, Ohafia, Bende, Umunneochi and Isuikwuato, go and look at what Hon Nkeiruika Onyejeocha has done with Erosion Control along Along ABSU akara axis, and the aviation school in Umunneochi, check out what Hon Benjamin Kalu is doing in on Nkpa Road and Bridge, or is it Hon Kalu’s Intervention on Umuahia/Bende/Ohafia Road, His interventions alone is worth over N16B. When you see this things you will agree with me that the federal government has given Abia special attention.
“So where has the APC led federal government sabotaged the Infrastructural plan of the state Governor?.
“The Federal Government is not father Christmas. When you utilize the much they have given you, they will do more.
“If you go to Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta, all PDP states, they have constructed quality Federal roads, through their own intervention for the welfare of their people, and because they did quality jobs, Federal Government refunded them promptly.
“You don’t expect the Federal Government to refund money spent on shabby jobs because they are not father Christmas. Most of the federal roads state government is claiming to have fixed in Abia is a scam, because you cannot pass through those roads after two months and by the time Federal Government comes for inspection and to reimburse, they will be disappointed.
“So nobody is sabotaging Gov. Ikpeazu or PDP led administration in Abia state.
“PDP led government in Abia state has deceived Abians, I make bold to say that. Is it the federal forces that is preventing Abia State Government from properly utilizing the $56M world bank l loan meant for the rebuild Aba?
“Abians are frustrated, even the Faulks Road the claim to have done, can you pass through Faulks Road now?
“Go to Abia State University, go to College of Education Arochukwu, go Abia State Polytechnic, these are state Owned schools would totally collapsed without the TETFUND intervention of the federal government. In the past 4 years federal government has supported state Owned high institutions in Abia with over N16B, through TETFUND, you can imagine what these schools would have looked by now without federal government intervention.
“In the past 6 years, the Governor has received over N23B Paris Club Refund from the federal government, where has the APC led administration wronged Abia?
“In SME, which the Governor is using to project the state, of course I give credit to him, he has done well in SME, the power stability we witness in Ariaria International Market, is an Federal Government initiative, not the state government, so where has the federal government not supported Infrastructural development in Abia state, to warrant the Governor trying to blackmail and discredit the APC led administration. I think What the PDP led Government should to is to go into soul searching to see where they can appease Abians with the remaining 2 years because Abians are so hurt and disappointed with the PDP led administration, which has been very catastrophic.
“It is unspeakable for even the Governor to blackmail his predecessors, to say that no Government contractor has entered Aba in the past 25 years, even his immediate predecessor, Senator T. A Orji, who was highly instrumental to his emergence, for him to go back to blackmail him.
“Go and look at the way they are taking money out of the state through the state independent electoral commission ABSIEC under the supervision of Prof Mkpa Agu Mkpa, go and look at Abia state audit report of 2020, you will cry for this state. That ABSIEC under Prof Mkpa was used to take away over N5B, during election I told you N3B but go and look at the audit report, duly signed by the state auditor and very soon I will address a press conference on those issues.
“For now I want Governor to Apologize to President Buhari and APC led federal government because they have given this state very mighty support, so i rest my case for now, I know they will attack me, but I will respond to them with facts and figures.”
Credit: AbiaPulseNews
@Uche Diala
