A group known as the Abia Integrity Group For Good Governance (AIGG) has reacted to the Abia @28th speech delivered by the Abia state governor Dr Okezie Ikpeazu on Tuesday, August 27, 2019, the group through their spokesman Mr Obioma Onwuka said, part of the speech by the governor which reads
”I make bold to state that every fund we have received till date, released for the purposes of payment of salary arrears, were judiciously utilized according to their stated purpose of release. It is still a matter of public record that the ICPC commended the Abia State Government for effective management of its bailout funds at a time other states were being investigated for mismanaging same.
This statement to the full intent of its meaning is a direct recognition of our earlier stance on the integrity and professionalism of Mr Obinna Oriaku during his time as the commissioner for finance, according to the group under Mr Oriaku’s watch, the state’s financials were professionally and creditably handled, Mr. Oriaku also introduced digital financial transactions to our payroll system which to a very great extent eliminated fraud and financial malfeasance in our financial systems and saved the state millions of naira that would have ended up in the pockets of these fraudsters, he reminded those who were busy using pseudo-identity to publish of all manner of falsehood against the person of Mr. Oriaku to remember that he was the chairman of the committee that handled the bailout funds and at the end of the exercise, while ICPC and EFCC were chasing after and probing other states for mismanagement, Abia received commendation from the Anti-graft agencies for effective management of the funds allocated to it.
Also speaking, the secretary of the group Hon. Okezie Chukwuka (AKA OC), insisted that under Obinna Oriaku, the state’s financialswweredigitalized and discipline introduced, he eliminated brazen stealing of states funds by public officials through the introduction of measures that will make it difficult for people to steal with impunity from the system and I am sure in a little while Abia will begin to reap the benefits of those structures that Mr Oriaku has introduced into the system through the ministry of finance, he went further to state that he is not surprised that the enemies of the state who are currently serving in government has been using their illegally acquired funds to fight Mr Oriaku so as to make him give way for them to continue in their audacious thievery which they shamelessly rub on the faces of Abians.
By the governor’s statement today Mr Oriaku has been vindicated while his disparagers have been put to shame.
We recommend that the government should give Mr Oriaku a higher position and ensure that those whose only mission is to steal does not come back to his team if he wants to get Abia right, we believe in his administration and we trust that he can take Abia to a higher level if he works with a team of committed, trustworthy, honest and hardworking people like the former commissioner for finance.
We pray that God will give Governor Ikpeazu the strength and wisdom to drive Abia to an enviable status
