By NewsCritic Reporters
Abia State Commissioner for Finance, Dr Aham Uko has debunked reports in a section of the media that he was behind the alleged arrest of some pensioners in the state. The allegation is coming on the heels of a plot to smear the image of the commissioner using a section of the media.
According to the malicious report, the Finance Commissioner was alleged to have invited the Police to arrest some pensioners who visited his office on Thursday, January 23 over pension matters.
However, in a press statement issued today Friday, February 24, 2020, Dr Uko said that he did not meet with the said pensioners and never ordered the arrest of anyone.
He said “my attention has been drawn to publications in a section of the media alleging that I met with a group of pensioners on Thursday, January 23, 2019, in my office, and subsequently invited security operatives to arrest them.
“I wish to state, without fear of contradiction, that I did not meet with the said pensioners and never ordered the arrest of any of them. The story as published is false and malicious as I was involved in meetings outside my office on the said day and only read about the purported meeting with the pensioners from the media.
Dr Uko stressed that following the directive of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu the government has made payment of pensioners in the state a priority.
According to him “It is important to point out that following the directive of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, we have prioritized regular payment of pensioners to ensure that they receive their due along with other workers in the state every month. There is therefore no basis for me to order the arrest of any pensioner or any other law abiding Abian for that matter, he explained.
This reporter gathered from Police sources that two persons were arrested by the Police in Umuahia for impersonating the leadership of pensioners with intent to deceive the general public and cause confusion in the Abia polity.
The NewsCritic online reports that there is an ongoing campaign in a section of the media to discredit the Finance Commissioner in a bid to tarnish his image. The campaign is being sponsored by some faceless politicians whose identity would be revealed by this newspaper soon.
Dr Uko a thorough bred banker of high repute has served the state previously as Commissioner for Environment before he was appointed into the Finance Ministry by Dr Ikpeazu.
According to investigations, political opponents want to tarnish his image and question his integrity which makes him stand shoulder high among his peers and in political circles.
Uko told the leadership of Ohuhu who paid him a courtesy visit penultimate week that he is not involved in any shoddy transaction and will never be involved. Those who know him too well described him as the Dr M.I Okpara of our time, in terms of integrity and forthrightness, adding that those behind the plot to tarnish his image will fail.
