APGA tackles  Abia govt over ‘unpaid salaries’

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia state has urged the state government to focus attention on infrastructure development and the payment of the arrears of salaries and pensions, instead of hounding the opposition party.

APGA gave the charge in a statement issued in Umuahia by its Chairman, Augustine Ehiemere, on Saturday.

The opposition party said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-run state government has been battling with unpaid arrears of salaries and pensions for months in different agencies.

According to APGA, the institutions include the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba, shut down by workers over 22 months’ salary arrears and Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, whose workers are owed 31 months salaries arrears.

The workers at the Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu, have not received their salary for 33 months, while the employees of the Health Management Board employees are owed 33 months salaries, the party said.

The party said beyond the pile-up of salary and pension arrears, the state also has infrastructure deficit and dilapidated roads to contend with.

The APGA lawmaker in the Abia House of Assembly, Obinna Ichita, recently criticised the state government of “mis-governance”.

Mr Ichita, including the APGA chairman, Mr Ehiemere, has challenged the state government to give account of the N27 billion World Bank facility it obtained for the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Road, Ngwa Road, Obohia Road and Ohanku Road, all in the commercial town of Aba.

The Commissioner for Information in the state, Eze Chikamnayo, in his reaction to the criticism by APGA, described the party as “factionalised and inconsequential in Abia.”

(NAN)