Certain debates about the financial status of Abia State government as at May 29th ,2023 handed over to the present government of Dr.Alex Otti by his predecessor Okezie Ikpeazu could be made to sleep following the recent revelations made by Mr. Mike Akpara
Special Adviser to the Governor on Finance
15-06-2023.
According to the release by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor,Kazie Uko, Abians deserve to know the truth,while the media aides of the former Governor have been going about with informations about the monies left by Ikpeazu to Otti:
The Abia State government says it is not true that the Okezie Ikpeazu-led administration left any N24 billion in the account of Abia state government as falsely claimed.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on
Finance, Mr. Mike Akpara made this disclosure while briefing the press at Government House, Umuahia on the issues of several billions of Naira allegedly left behind for the Dr. Alex Otti led-government by the former government of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.
He said that the 200 million Dollars and 50 million Dollars the past administration claimed it left for the new administration are loans they were pursuing which is yet to crystalize.
The Special Adviser reviewed that outside the humongous financial liabilities left behind by the Ikpeazu-led government, the administration also left physical liabilities in all key institutions of Abia State government including, the University Teaching Hospital, Abia Polytechnic among others
He further disclosed that the summary of Abia State Government balances with different banks as at 28th May 2023 included; loan balance to UBA (8,012,830,371.44)
,ZENITH BANK (21,557,168,761.71)
, UNION BANK (597,637,399.55)
and CENTRAL BANK (47,760,302,510.12)
, making a total balance of (77,927,939,042.82) for loan balance while domestic debts were as follows; Salaries and subventions arrears (18,162,102,692.92), pension arrears (21,283,876,789.80), gratuity arrears (27,012,996,061.64)
and contractors arrears (4,563,186,896.65)
leaving a total domestic debts arrears at 71,022,162,441.01. He also made public that the external debts of the State is 42,289,206,109.84, making the grand total of debt left for the present administration N191,239,307,593.67.
According to Akpara, if Ikpeazu had the billions he claimed to have left behind for the Governor Otti led-government in April and May, why did he not pay workers and pensioners before leaving office, since? adding if Ikpeazu is trying to preempt anti corruption agencies by making such provocative false claims, he should know that the anti corruption agencies work with facts and figures, and even if the former Governor runs into the APC to seek refuge as he plans to do, these anti corruption agencies would pursue and bring him to justice from there.
The Special Adviser, who was flanked by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity,
Ferdinand Ekeoma , the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Kazie Uko and the Accountant General of Abia State, Mrs. Njum Onyemenam reassured Abia people of the Governor ‘s commitment to clearing all arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities before 31st December, 2023.
NATURE OF FACILITY, LOAN BALANCE AS AT 28TH MAY 2023.
1 UBA (8,012,830,371.44)
2 ZENITH BANK (21,557,168,761.71)
3 UNION BANK (597,637,399.55)
5 CENTRAL BANK (47,760,302,510.12)
BANK BALANCES-TOTAL (77,927,939,042.82).
DOMESTIC DEBTS.7 SALARIES AND SUBVENTIONS ARREARS (18,162,102,692.92).
8 PENSION ARREARS (21,283,876,789.80)
9 GRATUITY ARREARS (27,012,996,061.64)
10 CONTRACTORS ARREARS (4,563,186,896.65)
DOMESTIC DEBTS ARREARS-TOTAL (71,022,162,441.01)
11 EXTERNAL DEBTS (42,289,206,109.84)
GRAND TOTAL
(191,239,307,593.67)For the records, the public should note thus:
- The Okezie Ikpeazu-led government did not leave any N24 billion in the account of Abia state government as they falsely claimed.
- The $ 200 million and $ 50 million dollars they claimed they left for the new administration are loans they were pursuing which is yet to crystalize.
3.. Outside the humongous financial liabilities left behind by the Ikpeazu-led government, they also left physical liabilities in all our key institutions. For example;, our University Teaching Hospital lost accreditation for the first time in history.
Our only state Polytechnic also lost accreditation. The regulatory authorities predicated their action against these institutions on Non-payment of salaries , lack of Equipment and Lack of Infrastructure.
- Poor internal generation of revenue, with the little they generated frittered away in payment to consultants for no added value. They pay as much as 20% which is highly unethical.
- Doctors who have been on strike since February 2023 just called off their strike, and they emphatically stated that they based their decision on their conviction that Governor Otti would solve the problem that necessitated the strike action.
- Finally, the elementary question is; if Ikpeazu had the billions he claimed to have left behind for the Otti led-government in April and May, why did he not pay workers and pensioners before leaving office, since Governor Otti just took over from.him on the 29th of May 2023?
If Ikpeazu is trying to preempt anti corruption agencies by making such provocative false claims, he should know that they work with facts and figures, therefore even if he runs into the APC to seek refuge as he is planning to do, these anti corruption agencies would pursue and bring him to justice from there.
