The Abia State government has said that the claim that the Okezie Ikpeazu-led administration left N24 billion in the account of the state government coffer but a debt of N191.2 billion.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Finance, Mr. Mike Akpara made this disclosure while briefing the press at Government House, Umuahia, disclosing that the summary of Abia State Government balances with different banks as of 28th May 2023 include; loan balances to UBA – (8,012,830,371.44), ZENITH BANK – (21,557,168,761.71), UNION BANK – (597,637,399.55) and CENTRAL BANK – (47,760,302,510.12), making a total balance of N77,927,939,042.82 for loan balance while domestic debts were as follows; Salaries and subventions arrears – (18,162,102,692.92), pension arrears – (21,283,876,789.80), gratuity arrears – (27,012,996,061.64) and contractors arrears – (4,563,186,896.65), leaving a total domestic debts arrears of N71,022,162,441.01.
He said that the 200 million Dollars and 50 million Dollars the past administration claimed left for the new administration are loans they were pursuing which are yet to crystalize and therefore a false claim.
The Special Adviser revealed that outside the humongous financial liabilities left behind by the Ikpeazu-led government, the administration also left physical liabilities in all key institutions of Abia State government including, the University Teaching Hospital, Abia Polytechnic among others
He also made public that the external debts of the State are N42,289,206,109.84, making the grand total of debt left for the present administration N191,239,307,593.67.
Akpara further revealed, “if Ikpeazu had the billions he claimed to have left behind for the Governor Otti led-government in April and May, why did he not pay workers and pensioners before leaving office?”, adding “if Ikpeazu is trying to pre-empt anti-corruption agencies by making such provocative false claims, he should know that the anti corruption agencies work with facts and figures, and even if the former Governor runs into the APC to seek refuge as he plans to do, these anti corruption agencies would pursue and bring him to justice from there”.
The Special Adviser reassured Abia people of the Governor ‘s commitment to clearing all arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities before 31st December, 2023.
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