Patriotic Abians have continued to raise concern over the shutdown of vital sectors in the state following the indefinite strike embarked by workers under the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over non- payment of salaries and pensions by the administration of governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
Contributing to ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER after an emergency meeting of the group, the spokesperson of United Abia Artistes and Patriots (UAAP) and a senatorial candidate in the recently concluded 2023 general election, Ambassador Osita Offor aka Ultimate Commander, noted that Ikpeazu’s failure to pay salaries including that of ‘core civil servants’ shows that he does not have the welfare of Abia civil servants at heart.
Ultimate Commander therefore called on the Federal Government to immediately put a stop to further disbursement of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) to the Abia state government led by governor Okezie Ikpeazu, noting that the previous Federal allocations received by his administration were not effectively utilised.
The UAAP further called on the federal government and other relevant authorities to demand a breakdown on how governor Ikpeazu’s led administration used the federal allocations it has received so far.
Recall that the NLC in Abia State on Monday midnight, May 8, resumed an indefinite strike in the state over non -payment of salaries and pensions among others and the government’s failure to fulfil it’s part of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in March 2023.
Currently, the education, health sectors, ministries, departments, and agencies in Abia State are under lock and keys over non- payment of backlogs and current salaries and pensions.
The workers have insisted that they will no longer give room for negotiation nor resume work until they are paid their stipends.
Other UAAP leaders involved in the meeting include Coach John Obuh (Football Legend), Emma Ehumadu Labista (Nollywood Legend), and numerous others.