As the current administration of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state races to its end in May 2023, a Socio-political group, the Abia League of Professionals Initiatives (ALPI), has vowed to play a good ‘watch dog’ on the incoming administration, sounding warning that it won’t be business as usual.
The group vowed to keep an open eye on the spendings of the next administration and ensure whoever becomes the next Governor of Abia state is accountable to the people.
This is also as the group called out to the financial institutions in the country to desist from honouring disbursement of payments to any third parties in Abia state, between now and 2023, when new governor will be sworn in.
According to them, this is to curb any misappropriation of the state funds and treasury.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Director-General, ALPI, Sonny Iroche and made available to The New Diplomat.
The statement reads, “Abia League of Professionals Initiative, has resolved, that in order to curb further misappropriation of Abia States treasury, all banks in the country should be put on notice, that from January 2023, not to honor any payments to third parties, except disbursements meant for the payments of salaries of civil servants, including teachers and health workers, employed in the services of the government of Abia State.
“Any banks that are used as conduits to siphon the states funds as a last minute desperation of the outgoing administration of Okezie Ikpeazu, would have themselves to blame, when a new government comes in shortly.
“The Abia League of Professionals Initiative, an NGO that is committed to good governance, transparency and accountability, after witnessing the wanton hemorrhaging and looting of the State’s treasury, has vowed to keep an eye on any government that comes into office in 2023, and would act as an accountability moral checks and balances against the financial malfeasance that has characterized the state, since the administrations of Orji Uzor Kalu in 1999, through Theodore Orji and now the outgoing Okezie Ikpeazu.
“ALPI, is also putting any incoming administration come 2023, on notice, that it’s not going to be business as usual anymore. As the group would play a major role, in playing its role as a good governance Watch Dog. ALPI is also recommending that one of the top international Audit Firms be engaged to carry out a forensic audit on all financial dealings of the current and past administrations of the state. And any recovered funds, and assets, must be forfeited, not to the Federal government, but the state government, which is right now suffering under heavy financial constraints.
“We cannot, as a people, be complaining about marginalization in the South East geopolitical region by the Federal government, while our own state governments are busy stealing our commonwealth, with reckless abandon.
“It is equally sad to note that Governor Ikpeazu has more or less abdicated the governance of Abia state and now galavanting all over the world as Governor Wike’s lapdog. This time calls of transparency and accountability. We must, as a group, hold our leaders accountable.”
