Ebonyi State Stakeholders have expressed their satisfaction with the way Governor David Umahi has been running the state, saying they have confidence that he would turn the fortune of the state around with an improved Internally Generated Revenue.

The vote of confidence followed a motion moved by a former member of the House of Representatives, Chief Innocent Ugochima, and supported by Senator Sylvester Ngele during a town hall meeting between the governor and the stakeholders at the Akanu Ibiam International Conference Centre, Abakaliki on Tuesday.

Ugochima, who highlighted some of the key achievements of Umahi within the past seven months, called for the passage of a vote of confidence on the governor.

Earlier in his address, the governor explained that the town hall meeting was called to enable the government and the stakeholders brain storm on how to improve on the IGR of the state.

The governor, who presented a new revenue proposal at the meeting said: “If we have to develop Ebonyi State, without IGR it will be very difficult to move forward.” He noted that in view of the harsh economic situation in the country, no state could survive without IGR.

He appealed for the understanding of the stakeholders to enable the government succeed.

Umahi also disclosed that he had directed the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Bernard Odoh, to invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the ICPC, to probe the activities of his administration and the immediate past government in the state.

He explained that he took the decision against the backdrop an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari by some members of the factional All Progressives Congress (APC) under the aegis of Ebonyi State APC Elders/Stakeholders Forum last week.

The forum had in the letter faulted a working visit by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and also claimed among others that the Umahi administration spent N350 million to rehabilitate the Governor’s Lodge, which according to it was built by Ex-Governor Sam Egwu with a N100 million.

The governor also said at the event added had handed over the case of the CALIFCO Power Plant to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, following the failure of the contractor to buy back the dilapidated power plant, with which the state had been defrauded by some officials of the past administration.

He announced that government would soon revisit the case of plots of land illegally acquired by the members of the State Executive Council in the past administration.

The governor who hinted that a bill would be sent to the State House of Assembly to cut down the salaries of Public Officers in the state; assured that the state of the economy notwithstanding, his administration would not down size its workforce nor reduce the salaries of workers.

•Photo shows Governor Umahi.

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