SaharaReporters had reported that the 24 members of the 7th Abia Assembly have been embroiled in a serious crisis over the leadership of the House.
Members of the Abia State House of Assembly have threatened to shut down the state if their three months’ salary arrears, severance package as well as sitting allowances owed them are not paid before May 29 handover.
SaharaReporters had reported that the 24 members of the 7th Abia Assembly have been embroiled in a serious crisis over the leadership of the House.
A source told SaharaReporters on Friday that the owed salaries and allowances of the state lawmakers could be traced to the financial crisis, which led to the freezing of all accounts linked to Abia State government, a situation that has made any financial transactions of the state impossible, including the assessment of the N2.8billion Paris Club fund.
However, the House members who have been split into two factions following the leadership crisis which is obviously over who controls the house, have reportedly threatened to "spill the beans" if Governor Okezie Ikpeazu does not keep to his words by clearing all outstanding salaries, severance package and allowances owed them which runs into three months before he leaves office.
"We are being owed several months of unpaid salaries, including our exit package and sitting allowances. This is even after several promises by the governor to clear the backlog but nothing has been heard from him. If he fails to live up to his promise, we will have to do our job as lawmakers,” one of the lawmakers revealed.
According to the source, some members of the House had few weeks ago tried to impeach the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon Chinedum Orji over what they termed abuse of office and running the house as his private enterprise.
"This brawl led about 16 of them to sign for the impeachment of the Speaker, where it was alleged that the Governor supported the move as the plot was hatched at a government facility owned by Abia State House of Assembly.
"The fear may be that there were few shady financial dealings which may not have passed through the crucibles of legislation involving the governor, which might be revealed especially to the incoming administration if the executive fails to pay the lawmakers," another source close to the lawmakers said.