Encomium
Immediate Abia state Governor, Senator Theodore Ahamefula Orji is still not in the good books of the state’s civil servants.
Passionately hated for owing them over six months salary, Ochendo, as he is popularly addressed, is still in the news. This time, the former Governor is being accused of “bolting away” with the state’s federal allocation for the month of May.
With no official statement yet from the Abia state government on the fast-spreading rumour, Orji has also not reacted to the serious allegation.
One of his former aides, Barrister James Okpara has, however, issued a statement in Umuahia,Abia state,
dismissing the allegation as baseless and a cheap blackmail.
Meanwhile, the Abia State Government has begun the process of paying workers owed in the state, a highly reliable source has told encomium.ng.
We also gathered that the Abia state Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has vowed he will never owe workers despite the perilous state of the state’s finances.
“The Governor is a man of the people. He has promised to pay workers irrespective of the state’s financial problem. In fact,we are processing their salaries right now”, one of the Governor’s Special Advisers also revealed.
Abia is one of the 23 states of the federation owing workers’ salary. Though, the state NLC insist they are being owed up to six months, authorities claim they only owe parastatals’ subvention.
-Uche Olehi
