Immediate-past elected councillors in Abia have explained why they sent an urgent appeal to the out-going governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu over their severance package, sitting and constituency allowances from Gov Okezie Ikpeazu before he leaves office on May 29.
In Save Our Soul (SOS) message to Ikpeazu, the ex-councillors pleaded with him to approve and give directives the payment of the entitlements, including their swearing – in allowance, wardrobe allowance, car/transport allowance, and furniture allowance.
In that open letter to the Governor, signed by their immediate past Secretary, Hon. Sam Charles Okeke, the former elected councillors whose tenure elapsed in December 2022, lamented and explained that life had not been so easy on them, and pleaded with the Governor to graciously consider paying the accumulated entitlements to enable them defray some of the cost they incurred.
According to them, their resolve to resort to writing an open letter was not to embarrass the Governor but due to their inability to get his attention via other internal means and pleaded, “Sir, approving and directing the payment of these entitlements to us will enable us pay off our bills incurred during our swearing in and during the course of our constitutional functions, seeing that it is our constitutional right as replicated in other states.
“It is with pains in our heart that we are prompted to make it an open letter as our last resort having exhausted all democratic avenues to press for the payment of our entitlements, all to no avail.
“This open letter sir, is not meant to embarrass you but to draw your attention to see the need to pay us our entitlements.”
They pledged their continued loyalty and support to the Ikpeazu-led Government, while commending him for some of the achievements recorded under his watch.
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