The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Ebonyi State chapter, has condemned the alleged seizure of salaries of civil servants in Ohaukwu local government area by the state government.
This was contained in a statement by the party to the people of Ebonyi State signed by the party chairman, Tochukwu Okorie
Ebonyi State government had allegedly denied employees from Ohaukwu local government their December salary following persistent killings in the Effium community in the local government. The people of Effium and Ezza Effium have been at war since January 22, 2021, with many killed and properties worth billions of naira destroyed.
Also, five construction workers handled it. a ring road project in the community was abducted in November last year and has not been seen since then forcing the state government to order the seizure of salaries of workers from the Ohaukwu local government area.
The PDP said there was no rationale to seize the salaries of the workers on account of insecurity.
The party further directed its legal team to immediately institute legal action against the state government over the alleged illegal operations of Ebubeagu in the state.
He said the directive followed the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum the party issued to the state government to disband Ebubeagu which it described as an illegal security outfit.
He noted that the party was highly disappointed in the “continued empowerment of the murderous syndicate called Ebubeagu” by the Ebonyi State government, alleging that the menacing presence of this syndicate has continued to threaten the existence of Ebonyi people and their economic drive.
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“In our previous press statement, we frowned at the unbridled fertilization of this terror group by the state government which continues to empower them to act dastardly and brutally against the lives and property of our people and residents. We have records Ebubeagu’s of attacks on innocent lives and property of Ebonyi people and we wonder why relevant security agencies are doing nothing to curtail this development to avert what might transcend into a state of lawlessness in the state moreover as the 2023 general elections draw close. Our investigations have revealed that this band of terrorists is being maintained for use by the APC state government of Ebonyi State to prosecute the 2023 elections and stampede the voices and activities of the opposition in the state. The People’s Democratic Party in Ebonyi State will resist this evil plot to the fullest extent of our ability and the law.
“Following the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum we earlier issued for the disbandment of the Ebubeagu terror organization, we have directed our legal team to immediately commence processes to challenge its existence and have them proscribed as a terror organization that it is. Already we have written to relevant security agencies, bringing their attention to the nefarious activities of terror groups, and we hope that the agencies will rise to their responsibilities and bring the atrocious activities of Ebubeagu to an immediate halt.
“We condemn in strong terms the continued seizure of the December salaries of civil servants from the entire Ohaukwu local government area of the state over the crisis rocking a part of the local government. There is absolutely no basis for seizing salaries of civil servants on account of insecurity in the area arising from failure of governance at the state level. We urge the state government to release the salaries and other benefits accruing to them without further delay and take responsibility for the cloud of insecurity that continues to hover over the entire state rather than making scapegoats of innocent civil servants. In the same vein, we empathize with these workers for the hunger strike the state government subjected them to in a season that should have everyone celebrating the goodness of God in their lives.
“We have also noticed that the Ebonyi State government has stalled the recruitment exercise into the state’s civil service which it initiated in November 2021. We hope that this is in response to the position of the PDP that the exercise was an ambush against the incoming PDP-led government in 2023. If that is the case, we commend the government for dropping the exercise. However, we will not hesitate to expose any under-hand dealing that may be going on behind the scenes in respect of that exercise.
“The static motion of ongoing projects in the state is cause for concern to Ebonyi people and residents. We urge the governor to pursue the completion of the ongoing projects.”
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