A Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] Board of Trustee (BoT) member from Abia State, Chief Tony Ukasoanya has called on his Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, to cut down his monthly security vote which he put at “close to N1 billion”.
In a statement he issued under the aegis of Concerned Abians for Good Governance, Ukasoanya described the governor’s public announcement of salary cut as “mere window dressing and sheer deceit”, pointing out that “without touching the security vote amounts to nothing and cannot effect any changes in the economy of the State”.
“The governor should come out clean and clear here by telling Abians how much his salary and allowances are and how cutting them by half will positively affect the state economy and help in paying the state civil servants’ salary.
“Unless the governor comes out to tell the people what his full package is and what he is cutting into two, the people cannot take him seriously and his actions will amount to nothing, other than window-dressing and deceit.
“We expect the governor to start on a clean slate and avoid the mistakes of last leaders of the state, but we are afraid his actions so far smacks of somebody who does not want to chart a new and transparent course. Instead, what one sees are the old signs that signal nothing but deceit.
“A situation where one comes out to tell the people that he is cutting his salary and allowances by half without the people knowing the full package and also not touching his monthly security vote which is close to N1 billion is laughable.
“Let the governor tell Abians what his salary cut will translate to without a cut in his security vote. For a man who goes home every month with about N1 billion that is unaudited, of what use is less than N1 million salary cut to him. Abians have learnt their lessons and no leader can take them for a ride again”, the statement said.
Where were these men when other governors ate everythinh without a kobo remaining. let them go and rest and stop disturbing this man Ikpeazu so early.