23/04/2024
Ferdinand Ekeoma
Ferdinand Ekeoma
MY RESPONSE TO MY BROTHER EKEOMA
After my prayers this morning and seeing your mail* which is not common on this platform ,I quickly rushed to read your response . I was expecting to see attached documents showing all those highlighted issues like the Airport payments . Recall ,I said I can only talk about issue that happened under my watch and the Airport saga was after I had left office.
I will focus on an area that concerns me in my response even as you also referenced me in your mail hence my response to you .
My experience since leaving office is that whatever you lost while in government for being honest and consistent is repaid years later by peace of mind that follows later even when issues like this resonates.
I have said it severally that am not Dr Okezie mouth piece but like Ikemba Ojukwu said in his celebrated book “ because am involved . Those issues you mentioned especially the Paris club refund and Bail out all happened under my watch and I also stand by the rhetorical question I asked on “why pensions where not paid when allocation improved. “ which you referenced.
On the bail out of N22b from the federal government, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu referenced what we discussed which you quoted above. On receipt of that fund, we agreed to set up committee to show transparency in the disbursement of that fund . I noticed pressure coming from different angles on the composition of that committee. Being a novice in government as we were few months old , I was told that there were benefits associated with being a member like transport allowance, sitting allowance etc. We settled for all the leadership of the workers union, Pensioners union, NUT. The state government was represented by then SSG Emeh Okoro, Mr Nnanna the Permanent secretary of Finance now retired, Mr Nwokocha a Director in Accountant General office.
The NLC was represented by then leader, Mr Obigwe heard he just died and Mr Okoro represented Joint Negotiating council, Mr Okoro is still in service.
We had late Mr Blackman who represented the NUT and the Chairman of Pensioners association represented the Pensioners though late but Mr Ikpe * is still around. I decided to mention all these name so that anybody will be free to reconfirm from those that are still around about the truth on bail out . I told them that a kobo of that bail out fund will not be shared to members of the commitee as allowance but if after our assignment and the Governor considers our assignment successful, I will work hard to ensure we are appreciated. That was why it was refereed by Dr Okezie as “indocid”.
97% of the bail out funds were shared amongst the units of MDAs, Pensioners NUT and parastatals like ABSUTH . While 100m was pushed to gratuity.
It was this period that ABSUTH Medical doctors got as high as N5m arrears payment in one swoop as they were on strike before we assumed office.
The Nigeria Governors forum set up an investigative team with ICPC and Abia came tops amongst the 36 States. Then Deputy Governor Rt Hon Udeh Okoh recieved the award on behalf of the State. The records are there and kindly verify.
The Governor eventually appreciated the team on bail out disbursement with N10m Naira and cheques, not cash were issued to these groups from First bank Umuahia though that landed me at EFCC PH as it’s one those payments they added when dragging me to EFCC.
Abia state was the first to announce the receipt of this funds when other states around were hiding the information from there people. Kindly invite EFCC on this, you will clap for those in charge then.
On Paris Club of 14b. This funds came in and about 65% of these were deployed in clearing arrears of outstandings while the rest were used to pay contractors, though the Paris funds came in tranches. The same approach was also adopted by the State by NLC and others but no appreciation * fee was paid this time. Kindly invite EFCC on this too. You will also clap for those in charge that period .
Why the debt with all these interventions to workers and pensioners.
My brother, I can say you guys are the luckiest since federal allocation shearing came into existence.
The state total obligations of salaries, pension, subvention was N2.4b and total allocation hovered around N2.3 and went all time low of N1.9b. We were confronted with these figures for long until late 2018 entering 2019 when figures started getting up to 3.4b. Those days we used to celebrate when FAAC hits N3.4b and JAAC N2.3b. You guys are lucky you get average of N14b in the last 6 months both FAAC and JAAC. I wonder why you will not owe if you receive N1.9 FAAC and 1.6B JAAC as at December 2015. Kindly reconfirm through Dee Charly Ogbonna. He was Commissioner for local government that period .
By April 2019, Our allocation hit 4.1b and subsequently stabilized around N5.6b for FAAC and JAAC of 3B.
It is the discovery of the increased amount that made me ask that question. Why did the government then owe more pension, ABSUTH , Abia Poly even when the allocation stabilized months into 2020 and above.
I understand there was a time the state borrowing hit up to N14b but under my watch, we never borrowed more than N8b, though you have always denied having not borrowed 🥲. I no wan deviate.
All these facts are verifiable from DMO or CBN, as you know that I don’t do propaganda with figures.
Biko to quench my anxiety and that of others that served under past administration, kindly publish the evidence of that airport N10b payment and others with dates to avoid being painted with same brush .
Yours in vineyard of good governance then and now .😁
Kaa Nwanne
Obinna Oriaku
Ekwedike
