Ikpeazu Starves Abia Commissioners, Turns Them to Beggars, Alleges Onyejeocha

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has alleged that the Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu’s poor record in workers welfare has been extended to his cabinet, as most commissioners “are now starving and begging for survival.”

She stated this when the former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd), hosted the state leadership and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the weekend at his Ovim country home in Isuikwuato Local Government Area of the state.

“We’re talking of non-payment of salaries. If you can’t do that then you don’t have any business being in government,” she said.

Onyejeocha, who represents Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency at the National Assembly, said she was saddened that Abia State has been saddled with “a governor who is found wanting in both physical and stomach infrastructure.”

According to her, no government since the creation of the state has starved commissioners, adding: “I’ve not seen any government that don’t pay commissioners and empower them with impress to be able to offer even little assistance to the people in need since they can’t offer employment.”

The lawmaker challenged the Ikpeazu government to disprove her claims, saying some commissioners do come to her or call to beg for financial assistance on the ground that they have not been paid since their appointment.

Ikpeazu inaugurated the current set of cabinet members in October last year after running the affairs of Abia State for about 10 months with only four commissioners.

But Onyejeocha chided the governor for not according his commissioners their deserved status, noting that most of them “are suffering and smiling,” merely answering commissioners in name as they don’t even control budgets meant for their respective ministries.

The high-ranking House of Representatives member said she could not imagine a government like the one being run by Ikpeazu nursing the idea of planting a successor to perpetuate the maladies in the state.

She promised that the moles in the APC ranks that helped PDP to succeed in 2019 would be checkmated this time around, adding that all genuine members of the state APC must bury their differences and sacrifice personal interests “for our permanent interest to salvage Abia State.”