The Abia State Chairman of the African Democratic Party,(ADC) ,Hon. Don Norman Obinna has criticized the trending response of the Abia State governor, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu in an interview with Magic FM, Aba, on Monday.
The interview video which went viral on social media had the governor responding to the question fed by a journalist one the construction of Aba Flyover which many have the view that have been too delayed for completion and commissioning.
watch video here👇
The ADC Chairman has taken a swipe on the interview in a press release which he described the leadership style of the current governor as trial and error.
See press release below 👇
PRESS RELEASE
Ikpeazu’s Monotonous Responses Sign of Cluelessness – ADC
We listened with sadness to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu as he gave discomfiting and monotonous answers to the developmental challenges bedevilling Abia State on Magic FM, Monday morning.
His prosaic responses showed that he assumed leadership with a tabula rasa and was unprepared like his predecessors. These explain his Kafkaesque leadership style, replete with trial and error.
The governor’s disclosure that his government has released an additional sum of N2.5 billion to the same contractor that delivered a poorly constructed Faulks road, Aba, after the initial payment of N4.5 billion is proof that the PDP government is culpable.
A serious-minded government would have ensured the arrest and prosecution of the contractor and even asked for a refund. But here in Abia, the irresponsible and clueless PDP government is making excuses for the company.
We dare ask, whose interests are they protecting? The contractor’s or the masses who they short-changed? Anyways, we are not surprised by the action of the government. Antecedents have shown that they are the enemies of the people.
It cost N350 million to construct a standard kilometre road with streetlights, drainages and walkways.
Abia State government has ended up spending a whopping sum of N7 billion to build a five-kilometre road that ordinarily would have cost N1.750 billion.
The entire scenario is an indictment to the PDP-led government. They favour boondoggles and omnishambles more than the development of the state and the wellbeing of the residents.
The past administration of Governor Orji claimed that it spent N5 billion to rehabilitate the same Port Harcourt road Ikpeazu bragged about and two other federal roads (Amangwu-Achara, Arochukwu, and Bende Road, Umuahia).
The then PDP government even claimed that they rehabilitated many federal roads to the tune of N14.7 billion and were awaiting the Federal Government’s refund for the commitment.
The claim, however, turned out to be a lie as the investigation then proved the federal government was not aware of such commitment.
Watching Ikpeazu speak as if his government was elected last year was pathetic. A government that racked in N614.292 billion in revenues and loans from June 2015 to December 31, 2020 – N525.092 from FAAC, JAAC, IGR, bailout/Paris refund and loan of N89.2 billion -.
Without corresponding infrastructural development, the Ikpeazu government has increased the external/domestic debts of N39.021 billion inherited from the past government to N128.8 billion as of December 31, 2020. Yet he spoke as if his government is building the Osisioma flyover with a personal fund.
Thanks to the federal government that loaned them N18 billion last year. Only God would have known the fate of our civil servants and the few roads they are rehabilitating.
We demand the judicious utilization of the loan to avoid it developing wings and disappearing like the N4 billion loan the last administration collected to build a new government house. It must not disappear like the elevators purchased for the twin workers’ secretariat.
We, therefore, urge all Abians to get their PVCs ready as we move to end the 24-years of the PDP insidious government that raped and enslaved civil servants, engineered the death of over 600 pensioners and hundreds of thousands of Abia residents.
Signed
Hon. Don Norman Obinna
Abia State ADC Chairman.
Meanwhile, the Abia State Government has warned people to desist from spreading “falsehood” against it on social media.
According to reports gathered by candidreporters.com, Anthony Agbazuere, the chief of staff to the governor, gave the warning on Monday while speaking with reporters at the Government House, Umuahia.
Mr Agbazuere said it was “disheartening to know that it had become a way of life for some persons to spread false messages to disparage the Abia State Government and its officials”.
He, however, said the government was open to accept “advice and objective criticisms” from the citizens.
Mr Agbazuere said henceforth, any form of “destructive criticism” would not be welcomed by the state government.
“In the spirit of the New Year, such people should be wary and refrain from unpatriotic, irreverent and debilitating conducts.
“Government shall be constrained to fully resort to extant laws against such uncharitable individuals except they purge themselves,” he said.
Continuing, the governor’s chief-of-staff said, “You can no longer in this country go to Facebook and write what you think or feel to disparage somebody without knowing that there are laws concerning such things in Nigeria.
“If you think what you are saying is right, then you must justify it on the basis of the law, or else the law will take its course.”
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