The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, (COSEYL), the umbrella body of all the youth groups in the South East geopolitical zone has descended on governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu describing his seven years in office as a disaster.
The youths in a statement at the weekend by its President General, Goodluck Ibem claimed that the administration of the governor has impoverished the people of the State with little achievement to show for his days in office.
Ibem said “The youths are totally disappointed over the abysmal performance of Abia Governor, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu. His 7 years in office is nothing to write home about.
“His seven years in office has just been years of suffering for Abians as people have no good roads to ply on. It has years of hunger and starvation as workers and pensioners are not been paid their salaries and pensions.
“Abia State polytechnic Staffs are owed salaries of 2 years and 4 months. Pensioners owed for 4 years, Abia State Teaching hospital staffs owed for years and some months, gratuity not paid to retired workers. The list is endless.
“While the governor, family and some cronies are drinking and pouring their champagne, Abia workers and their families are going to bed hungry. Some workers are dead, while some are critically ill as a result of long years of not receiving their salaries and pensions,” Ibem alleged.
He also added that “Abia State government under Governor Ikpeazu took a world bank loan of N27.4 billion naira to construct port Harcourt road, Obohia road, Ngwa road and drainage system within those areas and as we speak, nothing meaningful have been done on those roads.
“A visit to Port Harcourt road will tell you the true position of things in Abia state. Flood have sacked so many people from their homes. The people living in those places are suffering and businesses closed down as a result of unavailability of passable roads.
“We implore world bank to come to Port Harcourt road and see for themselves the extent of work done on Port Harcourt road which a whopping N27.4 billion was released for its construction.
“The street lights in Osisioma junction along Aba – Port Harcourt expressway is just a window dressing to deceive those passing through Abia to other states that all in well in Abia State when in actual sense and reality, the people are suffering on daily basis,” Ibem lamented.
Speaking of the governor’s aspiration to run for senate seat, Ibem said “We are really surprised that a governor who have done nothing meaningful with all the federal allocations to the state, Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, 13 percent derivation, loans (internal and external) and bailout funds will be aspiring to go to the Senate after a failed eight years as governor.
“If someone like Ikpeazu should go to the Senate, he going there will be to attract bad roads, unpaid salaries and pensions. There is nothing at all to point to after 7 years of been a governor.
“Abians have been deceived enough and we say, a enough is enough. The governor should give account of his stewardship before thinking of aspiring for any other political office. Public office is not a personal or family business were those elected behave as the like. Its an office that the public office holder must give account for the responsibility given to him.
“Under Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Abians are kidnapped and killed on daily basis by Fulani terrorists parading as herdsmen in the state. A Prelate of the Methodist Church, His Eminence Rev Samuel Kanu Uche was kidnapped on Abia soil and he had to pay a whopping sum of N100 million to regain his freedom from his captors. Countless of citizens have been kidnapped on Abia soil which were not reported, all these points to one thing; bad leadership and the inability to deliver on the goods.
“Abians are very unfortunate to have Governor Ikpeazu as her governor. The present administration is a cesspool of corruption as the only democracy dividends in Abia State is looting, looting, looting of Abia common wealth. Salaries and pensions all looted, funds meant for construction of roads looted, loans collected looted. Looting is just the other of the day.
“Who will believe that a whopping sum of N27.4 billion was received for the construction of Port Harcourt road, Obohia and Ngwa roads in Aba and nothing meaning is going on on those roads? It is unthinkable but is a reality. A visit to those parts of Aba will leave you to wonder if Abia State truly have a governor. Too sad!
“The once hype Abia Economic city was just a drain-pipe used to loot Abia resources. Despite the huge amount of money spent on the supposed economic city, there is nothing on ground to show for it.
“If the governor says he has constructed port Harcourt road and that it is motorable, we want to relocate to 200 port Harcourt road and be going to work from there.
“We therefore call on world bank to come to Abia State and see themselves how the N27.4 billion naira loan received is been utilized and we demand a prosper investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in Abia State,” he concluded. (The Sun)
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