The All Progress Grand Alliance (APGA) Abia State chapter have come hard on the executive governor of Abia State, Chief (Dr.) Okezie Ikpeazu over what it called “the governor’s continuation of his acts of financial recklessness, thoughtlessness and tactless action”, accusing him of bribing and sharing of brand new Toyota Prado Jeeps to the Seventeen L.G. Chairmen of the state a few days ago.
This APGA said was at the expense of thousands of starving civil servants and pensioners whose situations keep becoming pathetic on a daily basis.
A statement by the opposition party in the state noted that the sharing of such expensive jeeps that is between fifty Million Naira (N50M) and above per vehicle at this time is the highest display of leadership insensitivity to the plight of Abians and clearly presents the governor as one whose leadership priorities are misplaced, and dangerously wrapped in destructive selfishness.
The party while condemning the action in its entirety noted that “Just like other citizens of the state who have roundly condemned this jamboree of an insensitive governor, we feel very sad and disappointed”.
The statement further stated that while Dr. Ikpeazu celebrated his birthday amid pomp and pageantry, and dashed those vehicles like christmas flowers, he didn’t bother to pause and ponder about the welfare and fate of those millions of Abians who are struggling to provide three square meals for their families”.
While querying the merit of the recipients of such largesse from the government cofers, the statement said “the LGA Chairmen as Chief Executives of the third tier of government, with constitutional independence and approved budgets, are not appointees of the governor and thus do not fall in the category of government officials who should be beneficiaries of such gestures; suffice it to say that it’s either the Ikpeazu led government has been dipping its hand illegally into the treasury of the Local Councils, or that he is wasting such resources on the LGA Chairmen for ulterior motives that may not be unconnected to his desperate quest for undeserved reelection come 2019” .
APGA while accusing the governor of consistently hinging his failure to pay workers and pensioners, as well as execute meaningful projects on paucity of funds, had the mind to waste up to a billion naira (N 1Billion) in purchase of such expensive jeeps, shows that Ikpeazu is determined to exhibit anti people meanness and ruthlessness in pursuit of a doomed reelection ambition, more than he is ready to use the resources of the people in giving them responsible leadership.
It called on Abians to see the latest misstep of the governor to awaken their consciousness of and strengthen their resolve to end the Ikpeazu leadership tragedy come 2019.
