Abia League of Professionals Initiative (ALPI), has lamented that residents of the state have, since the commencement of the present democratic dispensation, been subjected to excruciating poverty as a result of bad leadership.

Director General of ALPI, Sonny Iroche, who made the claims in his address at an interactive session with governorship candidates in Umuahia, regretted that public office holders in the state had diverted public funds to private pickets.

ALPI is an incorporated non-partisan professional association with the aims and objectives, among others things, of ensuring good governance by holding political and public office holders accountable to their own sworn oath of office.

He regretted that few greedy characters had seized the state but vowed that professionals in the state would no longer watch the oppressors hold the state down.

” Abians have been subjected to excruciating poverty, non or delayed payment of salaries and pensions, insecurity debt overhangs, de-accreditation of two of our tertiary institutions, broken infrastructure, unemployment, lack of development, etc”, he lamented.

ALPI vowed to continue to act as watchdogs for the people and to hold the elected leaders accountable for the masses.

Featuring at the session, the governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party, Prince Okey Kanu, said that the state had been hijacked by a political cabal “which only care for their stomach “.

The governorship hopeful who made the claims during a governorship clip the wings of the said cabal if given the opportunity to preside over the affairs of the state.

He promised to keep anyone with unclean records at arm’s length in his administration if voted into power.

Prince Kanu who said he was coming to begin a new Abia agreed with ALPI that the state had been impoverished by a few selfish individuals.

He regretted that Abia prides itself as God’s Own State “but in unfortunately the leaders are far from God.”

According to him,” In the past, wise Leaders had time with God for direction but these days our leaders move up and down in hotels with girls instead of consulting God. How do you expect anything good from such leaders?”

He promised to ensure regular power supply to Aba to facilitate industrial and economic activities in the commercial city, arguing that “if Aba is running well, Abia will run well”.

Prince Kanu promised to give adequate attention to the education and health sectors, lamenting the de-accreditation of the Medical College of the Abia State University Uturu.

He described as embarrassing, a situation where medical doctors are owed for 25 months in the state, saying it is the height of insensitivity of government.

The Zenith Labour Party candidate said that regular payment of salaries and pensions would be one of the legacies of his administration if elected.

Kanu who is a Management expert, promised to be prudent in resource management and to closely monitor the activities of his aides and appointees.

He also promised to revolutionalise and make agriculture attractive as was witnessed in the days of the late Premier of the Old Eastern Region, Dr Michael Okpara.

“Under my watch, Abia farmers will begin to ride flashy cars because I will make farming an enviable profession”

He expressed optimism that the forthcoming elections would be credible because of the introduction of the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS machines while soliciting the support of Abian voters. (Vanguard)

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