2019 APGA gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Alex Otti has frowned at the appointment of transition chairmen by Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and also raised alarm of a possible move to mismanage LGA funds through the TC Chairmen. He raised this alarmed through a Press Release sent to Abia Facts News and signed by his media aide Ferdinand Ekeoma.

In the Press Release, he expressed his disappointment at the appointment of TC Chairmen even though the Federal Government has stated that they will not tolerate appointed Chairmen to manage the funds which are to be sent directly to the LGA.

READ FULL PRESS RELEASE;  

Appointment Of LG TC Chairmen In Abia As An Exercise Against Development.

The Alex Otti team received with disappointment, the news of the appointment of 17 LGA Transition Committee Chairmen and their Deputies by the executive governor of Abia state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.

We are disappointed because we are very much aware that the Federal Government, in a bid to halt the siphoning of LGA allocations by governors who hitherto exploited the loophole provided by the State-Local Government Joint Account, took measures aimed at ensuring that allocations for LGAs go straight to their accounts, with a threat to punish those who fail to utilize such funds prudently for the development of their councils.

The Federal Government also made it clear that it would not tolerate the appointment of TC Chairmen to manage the affairs of various LGAs as that would give state governors the opportunity to manipulate the LGAs, and possibly mismanage the LGA funds.

In the light of the aforementioned developments, we are taken aback by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s decision to resort to this retrogressive political action, and thus state the following:

1. That having had LGA Chairmen, both elected and appointed whose allocations were controlled by the Ikpeazu led government, and whose scorecards were extremely disastrous due to mismanagement of the LGA funds, it would amount to leadership insensitivity for the Okezie Ikpeazu led government to insist on toeing same undemocratic path that harms the general well-being of the people, especially at the grassroots.

2. That Abia has one of the worst records in workers and pensioners’ welfare in the federation, with some workers in state government owned institutions and pensioners being owed up to 10 months  salary arrears and up to 22 months pension arrears, thus we did not expect that this government would resort to taking actions that would aggravate the sorry state of things in the state, especially in the rural areas.

3. That the alarming unemployment rate and general underdevelopment of the local governments have propelled Rural-Urban migration to an alarming level, and subsequently increased rapidly, the level of insecurity, like armed robbery and kidnapping in the state to a frightening dimension, hence the need for the government to refrain from all actions that are capable of worsening the situation.

4. That if the Ikpeazu led government truly upholds both the principle of separation of powers and transparency as it repeatedly claims, it should concentrate on areas within its jurisdiction, and allow the third tier of government (LGAs) to freely and effectively utilize their resources in working for the people at the grassroots, while the State and LGA legislatures scrutinize and checkmate their activities.

5. That there are already reports from reliable sources of alleged plot by the government to illegally collaborate with the TC Chairmen and raise their security votes to the tune of 20Million, with the alleged intent of collecting same back from the Chairmen through the back door for purposes of diversion. This plot bears same government’s notorious trademark of financial malfeasance that has crippled the LGA system nay Abia state as a whole.

6. We humbly request Abia lawmakers both at the National and State Assembly to lend their voices and demand that LGA election be held immediately in Abia as that is one of the ways to prove that they are concerned representatives of the people.

7. Finally, we call on the federal government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to expedite action and ensure that LGA election is held in Abia urgently in the interest of the suffering citizens, while we appeal to the Ikpeazu led government to disappoint its critics for once by showing willingness in turning things around in the councils by partnering with FG and INEC to conduct LGA election quickly.

Signed

Ferdinand Ekeoma

Media Assistant to

Dr. Alex Otti

18/06/2019.