Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s Abia State Government is on the inglorious list of state administrations owing workers and retirees humongous salaries and pensions, investigations by civic responsibility firm BudgIT has revealed.

This is despite the billions of naira the state government received from the federal government for the sake of taking care of workers and pensioners who now languish in penury and hardship as the Ikpeazu-led government splashes money on frivolities to mark his 54th birthday.

BudgIT conducted a survey aimed at ascertaining the frequency and magnitude of challenges civil servants and pensioners are encountering in Nigeria. The organisation interviewed state employees and pensioners.

According to the survey, Abia is one of the worst states to be a pensioner in Nigeria. The state is one of 17 in the Nigeria that, despite receiving N1.8 trillion in bailouts, could not take care of employees and retirees.

Abia State’s case is so peculiar because in the same month of October that BudgIT’s report was released, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu – who repeatedly complains of paucity of funds to meet state obligations – splashed Toyota Land Cruiser Prado jeeps on local government council chairpersons.

Each of the vehicles goes for N16.5 million making 17 vehicles cost N280.5 million. This is happening in a state where the government has not paid pensioners for 18 months. Secondary school teachers, and secretariat workers are also owed five months salaries.

In a related twist, investigations by The Realm News show Governor Ikpeazu’s government routinely robs local government councils of federal government allocations and coerce council chairpersons into signing receipts of funds higher than what was actually received.

Observers say the jeeps could be the government’s way of buying the council bosses’ silence and securing their cooperation ahead 2019 general elections. Critics accuse the governor of taking Abia pensioners for a ride.

“There is nothing wrong with the governor celebrating his birthday,” an Abia State Government official who does not want to be named told The Realm News.

“But it would have been good if he celebrated by fulfilling his responsibility to pensioners. This could even be a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul. These are, after all, the same council chairmen whom Ikpeazu deprive their real federal government allocations.”

See the BudgIT report below:

“Abia State owe pensioners entitlement for 18 months,” BudgIT’s head of communication Ayomide Faleye said while commenting on the report.

“Almost all pensioners expressed how unhappy they are, their dissatisfaction with the government and how hard it has been for them to survive despite years of hard work up into service.

“BudgIT hereby ask states to offset outstanding liabilities to its workers and pensioners as funds in form of bailout estimated to be in the region of N1.8 trillion have been issues to states to offset all outstanding liabilities owe workers,” Faleye said.