Why I Had To Apologise To Charles Ogbonna – Obinna Oriaku, Ex Abia Finance Boss

A former commissioner for finance in Abia State and 2023 governorship aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Obinna Oriaku says he had to apologise to Chief Charles Ogbonna (Evulogu Ibeku), for questioning procedures adopted for a contract of cleaning Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) offices in 2015.

According to Oriaku, he called Ogbonna, who was then Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, to apologise to him, having compared the past and present financial management of the state even with the increased allocation from the Federal Government.

Talking on his Facebook handle, Obinna Oriaku wrote;

ABIA RECEIPTS FROM JAAC AND FAAC AND THE MATTERS ARISING

In September 2015, Abia got N1.9b from FAAC and JAAC N1.6b. Today this has moved up to almost N7b for FAAC and N3.6B for the JAAC and all these current challenges are confronting workers .

Charles Ogbonna was the Commissioner for local government then and he will reconfirm this figures including the then AG.

Most times ,I ask how we managed to run during that period that has been described as the glorious era of Okezie administration.

I and late Chief of Staff( May his noble soul continue to rest in peace ) fought Dee Charles just for N8m contract for cleaning of Jaac offices as we felt there was conflict of interest. Not because  the contract was fraudulent but because we felt the award which was within the ministerial tenders board threshold did not follow proper due process.

After seeing what is happening in the management of our finance today , I personally called Dee Charles on phone to apologise for our stand on him then and assured him that late Chjioke would have done same if he were to be alive .

We must stand to confront this hydra headed monster messing us up called corruption.

I dont want to engage further on my experience as Commissioner for finance as my book is coming out on my experience in government.