By NewsCritic Reporters
A former chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in Abia State Mr Chidi Ajaegbu has carpeted Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for poor performance, saying that he can’t hide under the guise of external influence not to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Abia. He maintained that Ikpeazu is holding an illegitimate mandate.
Ajaegbu, who was APGA senatorial candidate for Abia Central senatorial election in the 2019 polls, said it was the pathetic state of affairs in Abia that spurred him into joining partisan politics having reached the apogee of his profession through his election as the President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN, in 2014.
According to him his intention of joining politics was to challenge the corruption in the state which has resulted to the collapse of infrastructure, and the non-payment of salaries to workers and pensioners, as well as the poverty that has overtaken our God’s own State.
He noted that the declining standard of living and misery index in Abia State is reversible if the pretense of service displayed by those in leadership positions in the state will give way to purposefulness at all levels of governance. “The claim of exogenous influences for non-performance is redundant at this juncture, because Dr Okezie Ikpeazu is the Executive governor of Abia State, pure and simple.
“Abians are not sufficiently angry, until we are angry enough, this comedy called the PDP administration in Abia State will continue to take Abians for a ride; exploiting our resources and devaluing our businesses and lives.
“I have heard that a certain aide to Governor Okezie, identified as Erondu Junior, is going about threatening the people who are speaking out against the rot in Abia State. Let it be known that I unequivocally align myself with the legitimate agitations of the individuals and groups clamouring for the payment of salaries when they are due, the payment of pensions when due, fixing Aba with quality road networks and more, as demanded by the Aba women in their recent demonstrations in Aba and also by the young activist, Ogochukwu Ogbonna.
“If you owe salaries and pensions for years, and you are superintending over a collapsed infrastructure, how can you claim that this same people gave you their votes, for you to continue to starve them? It is an illegitimate mandate, he said.
The former APGA chieftain recently announced his resignation from the party due to what he termed leadership failure at the national level of the party as represented by Chief Victor Ike Oye, the party’s national chairman.
