The Abia Elders Forum has warned that the state is in dire financial crisis and therefore called on the state government to open the books and declare the true state of the treasury, including all outstanding recurrent liabilities and total debt owed banks and other creditors.

In a communiqué at the end of an expanded Stakeholders’ Summit in Abuja on Wednesday, the elders lamented that workers in the state were yet to receive their January salary, while many pensioners have died out of frustration.

They also condemned the members of the state’s House of Assembly for choosing this moment to embark on a visit to Atlanta in the United States, adding that they should have waited for another time or after the backlog of workers’ salaries have been offset.

The communiqué signed by the Forum’s publicity secretary, Mr. Uchenna Kalu, also described the trip by the legislators as "grossly insensitive and inhuman within the present context".

"Each member of the House collected $30,000 as travelling allowance at a time workers are being owed three months salaries while some staff of local government councils are yet to receive their December pay cheques. This behaviour does not portray the honourable members as sensitive to the plight of the people they represent. It is selfish and condemnable.

"For an institution constitutionally charged with oversight functions, we expected the relevant House committees to initiate probes and public hearings like their counterparts at the federal level and demand answers as to why salaries have not been paid and why poverty is prevalent in the state at a time government revenue from the federation account is rising", it said.

To further buttress their point, the elders drew the attention of the public to a report in the Vanguard newspaper of Wednesday, April 9, 2008 which quoted the state government as dispatching the Finance and Public Utilities Commissioners to Abuja to meet with federal lawmakers on the critical state of the state’s finances.

The communiqué also quoted a statement credited to the state Information Commissioner, Mr. Ralph Egbu, in the same newspaper report, admitting that the state government was "unable to meet its financial obligations to contractors handling several projects in the state."

The elders then called on the EFCC and the ICPC to thoroughly investigate a petition submitted to them which was copied to the Forum by a coalition of Human Rights Groups in the state alleging that the state was broke because the government was allegedly channelling all funds into prosecuting its defence at the Election Petitions Tribunal as well as the appeal against the judgement that sacked it.

"We also demand that if the investigations found the allegations to be true, those behind the diversion of monies meant for the salary of Abia workers and the development of our state be made to stand trials and the monies refunded to the state treasury", it said.

	1. 14-04-2008 23:39
	Abia state is a family affair.Continuation of Orji Kalu's government.Who controls the Government house.It is no other person than the junior brother of Orji Kalu,his name is Ifeanyi.T. Orji took an oath to be remote controlled by Orji Kalu and his mother.Old wine in a new bottle is still an old wine. Guest

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	2. 14-04-2008 19:20
	Abia is broke,why? why Abia State is broke are many and numerious.  1.there is not good governance in abia state in the last 8 years.  2.public funds are siphoned outside out to develop other countries to our own detriments.  3.the last tribunal verdit should be welcomed by the appeal courts as toclear all bad eggs in the corridors of government.  4.Because,workers and concerned people of Abia refused to hit the streets to express our grievances.  5.finally,only God will help us to elect a formidable house of assembly members who will enact laws that will bring checks and balances in governance of Abia State,instead of making unneccessary trps with our funds.  Thanks,  Igwe in Abijan,Cote D,Ivoire. Guest

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	3. 14-04-2008 16:53
	THIS ROT RUNS DEEP I thought the people said that the best thing to happen to Nigeria is Orji Kalu. I am ashamed of my brothers from this otherwise rich and highly entreprising State. Like Edo State, you have a Governor who never really cared about the State and it's people. Governors who were by far richer than their States. Nobody can do anything to them, because the rot runs deep, with several hands in it. Mark my word, Orji will ride shoulder high when he returns to the streets of Abia. Guest

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	4. 14-04-2008 15:55
	Evil servants and service of self destru What ever seem to be happening to Abis state civil servants are self inflicted wounds. The state civil service is instituted in deliberate mischief, self destruction, corruption etc., they are the ones that device means of looting the treasury to politicians, why because half of them have nothing at stake. They are from contiguous states. It is only in Abia state where a governor can rule and loot for 8 years and the state judiciary will pretend and sooth in connivance because of one dirty official peck of Vehicle; Where civil servants jostle to partake in that miserable forte, for melon shearing.  ; Where bad eggs of the Elders council forum go in the cloak of darkness to sell their rivals for a pot of porridge.(Boo boo yaya Guest

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	5. 14-04-2008 14:58
	Abis is broke Ex-Gov Orji Kalu should be made to account for the stolen monies of Abia. To begin with, Sun newspaper must be handed to Abia, for it belongs to the state Guest

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	6. 14-04-2008 14:57
	A CON OF WORMS...................? What!!!! a probe into the activities of the master strategist? what a tall joke. Can the complacent Abia house of assembly galvanize the moral fibre to initiate such a treacherous action against their idol? Is there truly a moral man or woman in that HOUSE? If there is why do we need to call our ancestors, Elders and leaders of taught or consult our Oracles to catch the man who has reduced us to this state we find ourselves; while he still walk freely in the land of Enyinmba. Is Abia state House of Assembly constituted by men and women of integrity? or people clinically engaged from neighbouring states to perpetually diminish / destroy and corrupt the sensibilities of the people. Where is Sen. Uchechuku Merije and co. men of mental erudism who can/could not use their God give opportunity to stand up against evil for the electorate in an elongated peaceful moment of Democracy ever seen in the history of Nigeria.   Let the probe begins if there are legislators. What do we fear?........ A can of WORMS? Guest

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	7. 14-04-2008 13:41
	Re Abia is broke. The problem with the fraqile State of Abia culminates from the facts that the State never benefited anything throughout the eight years of the demon government of Obasanjo. It was sidelined, all existing Federal government parastatalls were paralized.Foreign experts who showed interest somehow in helping the State out of it\'s set back were shoved aside by the then federal might.Internally generated fund on the other hand were grossly mismanaged and looted, the gain is where we suddenly have found ourselves.Nothing is working in Abia State except evil fratternities. Guest

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	8. 14-04-2008 13:23
	Re Abia is broke. it's a shame that this is happening in my own state. why should the Assembly members recieve $30,000 each for one useless travel when the civil servants have not been paid. they should know that god will judge every mall according to his deed. may god deliever us from their snares. God bless Abians. Guest

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	9. 14-04-2008 09:27
	Re Abia is broke. this is abia's problem. when you have suffered enough, then the populace will get up and recall the members of the state house of assembly then we will know that you are yet to get December/January salary. Wake up and do things that will save you yourselves. Guest

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