Ikpeazu will not join issues with his predecessors
The governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, has replied to his predecessor, Sentor T.A. Orji, in a statement Orji made urging him to carry his cross and not drag him or his administration into the current faceoff between him and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over unpaid wage bills.
In a Statement on Saturday 13th May, 2023 by the Onyebuchi Ememanka Press Secretary to Ikpeazu, the Governor wishes to state that he is proudly carrying the cross of the governance of Abia State and will continue to carry it till his last day in office.
The statement reads,, the attention of the Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has been drawn to a statement credited to Senator T.A.Orji, the immediate past Governor of Abia State.
"Secondly, and as a personal policy, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu will not join issues with any of his predecessors in office. For the almost 8 years he has held office as Governor, he has not engaged any of his predecessors in any kind of untoward exchange, even when it seemed politically expedient to do so. This policy is largely responsible for the sociopolitical stability we have enjoyed in Abia State since 2015. The Governor intends to sustain this personal policy going forward.
"Finally, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu is of the firm view that as in all matters, history and posterity will, over time, put all things in proper perspective."
The Ex governor T.A Orji in a press release titled "IKPEAZU SHOULD CARRY HIS CROSS," which was signed by Senator Orji’s Liaison Officer Ifeanyi Umere, the senator, who now represents Abia Central at the national assembly, posited that his administration is not responsible for the staggering salary arrears owed both civil servants, parastatals, and pensioners in the state.
He revealed that as at May 29,2015, no core civil servant was owed even one month salary arrears and that in the case of parastatals, they were owed between two and four months. He further explained that the two to four months salary backlog was due to dwindling federal allocation occasioned by the worsening global economy, read here
