The unfolding drama within the Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and further shredding of the umbrella is interesting. From the House of Assembly to the governor and his predecessor, the party had hardly settled in the reversed status that it has seen itself that it has started displaying intolerance and inability to cohabit. This is the immediate effect and reality of a painful and self-inflicted loss, which the party is yet to come to terms with. Whatever provoked this cross- fire, the dance of fury from Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s predecessor, Senator Theodore Orji, beats every imagination. The penchant for truculence is unbecoming of the status and dignity of the exalted office of governor and senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, especially coming from a political godfather.

The labour union had ordered workers to embark on indefinite strike. Its leaders said the action was necessitated by the failure of government to honour agreements. Severally, the government had promised to pay the workers for which they returned to work but at the end the government would renege. According to figures obtained from the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Senior Secondary School teachers are owed 18 months’ salary arrears and nine months half salary. Junior Secondary School Teachers, Teachers Salary Structure (TSS) 27.5 percent have not been paid for over 10 years, 10 months’ salary arrears and four months half salary arrears.

The figures further show that Abia Line Network staff are owed for 30 months; non implementation of mini- mum wage at the local government level (even the N10,000 across all levels consequential adjustment was not implemented); November and December 2020 salary to the local government staff still outstanding; Hospital Management Board (15 months); Abia State University Teaching Hospital (27 months); Abia State University (12 months); Abia Poly- technic (43 months). Others are Abia State College of Edu- cation (28 months); Abia State Universal Basic Education (seven months); Secondary Education Management Board (17 months); Abia State Library (14 months); Abia State Health Sciences and Management Technology (two months); non-implementation of CONHESS to Social Welfare, Livestock Veterinary and Health Workers in the LGAs since 2009; non-payment of leave bonus allowance since 2013; non-payment of seven months arrears of check off dues deducted from workers’ salaries to their various unions and 43 months of pension arrears and 21 years of gratuity. Senator Orji, who reacted to claims and counter-claims over this development through his liaison officer, Mr. Ifeanyi Umere, said he was compelled to respond to the claim by Governor Ikpeazu that he inherited the salary ar- rears from his predecessor.

The former governor, who insisted that he did not owe core civil servants before leaving office, called on his successor to take responsibility for failing to pay the workers. He advised Ikpeazu to stop shifting blames and own up to his failures even as he expressed surprise that his successor had allowed salary arrears to accumulate for up to 40 months and still points accusing fingers at him. Orji’s statement reads in part: “It’s unfortunate that I am forced to comment and refute the half-truths being dished out by those who through their own bad choices have found themselves in a quagmire. “For the avoidance of any doubt, neither myself nor my administration is responsible for the staggering salary ar- rears owed both civil servants, parastatals and pensioners in the state. “Before my administration came to an end on May 29, 2015, core civil servants were not owed even one-month salary arrears. Parastatals were the ones that were owed between two and four months. The records are there.

“At any rate, the arrears were necessitated by the dwindling federal allocation occasioned by the worsening global economy. The price of crude had crashed and the states were getting a paltry two to three billion naira monthly which was not even enough to run the state including capital and recurrent expenditures. “Those who took over from us inherited both assets and liabilities. In this case, the government is a continuum. So, if we were owing two to three months, we expected our successors to clear them. This expectation was based on the fact that they received bail- out funds from the federal government more than three times running into billions of naira. “Again, the economy had picked up considerably enabling the outgoing government to chalk up considerable income as can be confirmed from the Ministry of Finance. So, why was it difficult for them to offset the debts? “Again. If for any reason they couldn’t or were unwilling to offset, why did they allow it to skyrocket to between 35 and 40 months? Why are they also owing core civil servants? Basically, I am not the problem. They should carry their cross.” Ikpeazu, in his reaction, via Onyebuchi Ememanka, his Chief Press Secretary, said: “Governor Ikpeazu 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. “For the almost eight 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 socio- political 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 claims and counter-claims by Orji and Ikpeazu, notwithstanding analysts, who spoke on the is- sue, said it was curious that none of them mentioned Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state that runs into billions of naira as a source of revenue as both limited their sources of revenue to federal allocation. When Ikpeazu took the reins of power from Orji in 2015, he tact- fully evaded questions regarding how much he inherited as assets and liabilities. Asked about what he inherited as debt or how much was left in the coffers of the state, he simply said: “Government is a continuum.” Now, this is the Implication of inheriting assets and liabilities and the proper perception of running government as a continuum. Many have sought in vain for the original spark that ignited the harangue, aside the salary arrears, which Ikpeazu inherited from his benefactor and predecessor, though in varying degrees.

The question many seek answers to is: Who taught Ikpeazu to owe workers? Where else did he learn that from if Orji’s predecessors did not owe workers? According to some analysts, it is merely sanctimonious for ex- Governor Orji to exculpate himself from the woes of Abia workers in his “carry your cross” comment. According to them, salary arrears is indubitably among the legacies he left for Ikpeazu. They added that the only difference now is the degree and extent of the arrears. Admittedly, when Ikpeazu saw nothing happened during Orji’s tenure over the salary issue, he was emboldened to stretch it further to its elastic limits. This is in spite of the three federal government bailout funds and the humongous monthly receipts. According to them, the predilection to shirk responsibility is unacceptable and for Ikpeazu, it is too late in the day to exonerate himself. Governor Ikpeazu has never said Abia State lacked funds to meet its primary responsibilities and exe- cute projects. Evidently, if the state was struggling with finances, the governor would not have embarked on creation of more ministries, agencies and departments with the attendant extra fiscal responsibilities. It is on record that while workers were not paid promotion arrears and leave allowances the wage bill still mounted, even higher than when they were paid and no one can refute the claims by labour. (New Telegraph)

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