Otti’s aide: Ikpeazu must account for Abia’s N191bn debt — even if he joins APC

Mike Akpara, special adviser on finance to Alex Otti, governor of Abia, says Okezie Ikpeazu must account for the N191 billion debt of the state.

NAN reports that Akpara spoke on Thursday during a press conference at the government house, Umuahia, Abia state capital.

Recently, Ikechukwu Iroha, a former media aide to Ikpeazu, was reported to have claimed that the former governor left some billions in the state coffers before leaving office on May 29.

However, Akpara refuted the claim, accusing allies of the former governor of resorting to fake news with the intent of deceiving the public, especially workers and pensioners.

He added that records show that as of May 28, the state had a financial liability of N191 billion.

“The Okezie Ikpeazu-led government did not leave any N24 billion in the account of the Abia government as they falsely claimed,” he said.

“The $200 million and $50 million they claimed they left for the new administration are loans they were pursuing which are yet to crystallise.

“Poor internal generation of revenue, with the little they generated frittered away in payment to consultants for no added value and they pay as much as 20 percent which is highly unethical.

“The members of the Ikpeazu-led administration were busy picking money from everywhere towards the end of their tenure as the N2.8 billion from SURE-P that came in through the Union Bank a few days before the inauguration was taken by them.

“We made efforts to stop them from taking the money but we lost out, however, we succeeded in stopping them from taking the N3 billion from JAAC, as we went as far as writing EFCC to stop them.”

Speaking further, he added that the failure of Ikpeazu to pay April and May salaries before leaving office was another indication that there was no money in the state coffers.

He added that the former governor will be made to face justice even if he joins the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“If Ikpeazu is trying to preempt anti-corruption agencies by making such provocative false claims, he should know that they work with facts and figures,” he said.

“Even if he runs into the APC to seek refuge as he is planning to do, these anti-corruption agencies would pursue and bring him to justice from there.

“Already EFCC is on their trail and as we speak some of their bankers are being invited for questioning by the agency.”