Former Deputy Chairman of Bende LGA, Promise Uzoma Okoro and the Special Adviser to Governor Alex Otti on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, have engaged each other in a war of words over unpaid workers’ salaries for April, 2023.
Okoro was alleged to have circulated a report where he alleged that Governor Alex Otti vowed not pay the April salaries of civil servants in the state left behind by former Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu
But in a quick reaction, the Special Adviser to Governor Alex Otti on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, described the report as fake, half-baked and fabrications dished out to draw social media traffic.
Ekeoma, who made it clear that Governor Otti never made such a statement, challenged the PDP chieftain to produce evidence of where and when the new governor made the said statement.
Ekeoma, who advised the public to disregard the reports credited to the former Bende local government deputy chairman.
He said Okoro probably anchored his assumption on the plans of the governor to pay May salary first, before tackling the accumulated salary arrears left behind by the past administration in the state.
Ekeoma’s statement read in part, “I read with dismay, the fake report being widely circulated by one Promise Uzoma Okoro wherein he alleged that the governor of Abia state, Dr. Alex Otti, has vowed never to pay the April salary arrears left behind by the former government of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.
“The said Mr Okoro could not state where and when the governor made the statement.
“He probably anchored his assumption on the plans of the governor to pay May salary first, which of course is his immediate priority before tackling the humongous accumulated salary arrears left behind, which include the April salary Okoro mentioned.
“The governor understands the place and importance of payment of salary as an enabler of economic growth and development, and is therefore marshaling out the right strategy geared towards clearing the Abia salary mess.”
Ekeoma continued, “It is curious that the poster who had earlier claimed that governor Ikpeazu wasn’t owing April salary is now talking about non-payment of the same April salary, after Ikpeazu had left office.”
