- Denies Attempting To Influence Election Results
By Charles Adingupu
Shortly after his declaration by the Resident Electoral Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Nnenna Oti as winner of the Governorship election in Abia state, the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Alex Otti listed a catalogue of problem he would confront head on as he accused the incumbent Governor, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu of financial reckless that led to the backlog of unpaid salaries of civil servants and pensioners.
But in a swift reaction, Ikpeazu dismissed the allegations that his administration plunged the state into bankruptcy, describing the allegations as spurious, and a calculate attempt to malign his hard earn credibility, the Governor disclosed that only two months salaries of the workers were outstanding.
He described as white lie that the state retirees were equally owned backlog of pension arrears as his administration with the limit of available resources paid most of the pensioners.
Ikpeazu one of the People Democratic Party (PDP) G-5 Governors otherwise referred to by party loyalists as dissidents, said Abia state witnessed unprecedented development in the near eight years of his administration
The Governor said that new roads were constructed and old roads were renovated to link many communities to the urban centres, adding that the development put to check the rural, urban migration.
He said that the Ariaria International market road was renovated in Aba, and some of the traders who specialized in shoe making were sent bout for training in order to improve on their trade.
“Today, everyone who had been to the Ariaria International Market in Aba to buy shoes will attest that the quality of shoes presently manufactured can match the standard in over countries. This is the benefit the training they were exposed to,” he said.
Ikpeazu admitted that like every other state in Nigeria Abia state is also indebted but added that it does not amount to the figure being branded.
The Governor denied report that he attempted to bribe the Resident Electoral Officer, Prof. Oti, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Owerri (FUTO) to influence the election results to his favour.
‘’it’s a lie. I have never met Prof. Nnanna Oti before in my life. I would not have done such a thing,” Ikpeazu stated.
It would be recalled that Prof. Oti while declaring the winner of the Abia state Governorship election, claimed to be under intensive pressure to manipulate the result, adding that her conscience would not allow her to kowtow to such pressure as she went ahead to declare the true winner of the election. For that singular feat, Prof. Oti received a rousing welcome home by staff and students of FUTO.
