Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
As Abia State marks its 31st anniversary, the state chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has expressed deep regrets over the decadence in the state, saying that there was no need to celebrate “failure and misgovernance”.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere, Abia APGA noted that the euphoria that greeted the birth of God’s Own State on August 27, 1991 cannot be repeated in the present circumstances because the report card is replete with “failure and retrogression”.
“At 31 Abia State will still be a crawling baby. This is more annoying with the realisation that even younger states created many years after have since started running.”
“Wrong drivers and opportunists who have driven the state craft and leadership wheel of the God’s Own State, have rather taken us back instead of moving forward,” Ehiemere said.
The opposition party gave a damning verdict on the achievements of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ) which has been in control of the state since the beginning of the current democratic dispensation in 1999.
According to APGA, the PDP which came to power eight years after the creation of the state “has rather supervised the dilapidation, economic strangulation and near collapse of Abia State.
“Unfortunately, the current PDP-led administration of Okezie Ikpeazu is the worst of all governments so far witnessed in Abia. We wonder what this government will be celebrating as its achievements at Abia at 31.
“It is disheartening that at 31 years, Abia is celebrating 25 months of salary arrears of doctors; de-accreditation of Abia Polytechnic Aba following 30 months of unpaid wages of staff; de-accreditation of the Abia State University Teaching Hospital Aba ABSUTH; and 10 months of salary arrears of Abia State University Uturu (ABSU) Staff,” APGA said.
The opposition party also sympathised with Abia pensioners who are still owed four years of gratuities and 28 months of pension arrears as well as teachers in primary and secondary schools who are bearing the burden of five months salary arrears and promotion allowances.
APGA attributed the maladies in Abia to “leadership failure, god-fatherism and imposition” which has consistently sacrificed competence on the altar of favouritism and selfishness hence the state has been made to consistently rwap infrastructural decay and policy failures.
“At 31, Abia roads are still impassable: Ukwa land, the only oil-producing area in Abia State, is completely disconnected from the rest of the state due to bad roads. At 31, Arochukwu ancient kingdom is still being accessed through Akwa Ibom State. What a shame!
“It is sad and embarrassing that at 31, Abia has no permanent Government House but still operates from donated take-off apartments. Despite billions of Naira the PDP-led administration claimed to have sunk into the New Government House project, the site has been abandoned for the past eight years.”
After passing its verdict of failure on the ruling party, APGA said that PDP has no moral justification to ask Abia people for votes in 2023, adding that it was prepared to take over the reins of power and give the people the much expected good leadership.
“We therefore, wish to urge Abians to unite and join in the on-going efforts to liberate the state from oppressors and political hijackers. It’s time to jettison political sentiments and place the interest of Abia above party politics,” Abia APGA stated.
