Concerned Abia Professional (CAP), a socio-political organization, has stated that the ordeal of the embattled Abia Chief of Staff, Hon. A. C. B. Agbazuere, should not stop at suspension. He should be disengaged from public service and put up for investigation by anti-graft agencies they maintained.
In a Press Release signed by its Publicity Secretary, Comr. Christian Nwogu, the group commended Gov. Ikpeazu for the swift suspension but insisted that public trust can only be restored to his government when Agbazuere is disengaged from public office and handed over for proper investigation.
“It is condemnable that at a time when harsh economic realities dare and bite hard our world with job losses, businesses going under recession and increased tariffs slapped on citizens, a state official paid with taxpayers’ money in naira could be seen spraying hard currency or foreign bills on another when event under such circumstance does not suit such,” the release stated.
Furthermore, “We wish to state categorically that such activity is against the extant laws of Nigeria, especially the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Act. Such action does not suit the code for public service, let alone a government appointee appointed on public trust and screened by the legislature. The worrisome question goes: Was that done with an undeclared intent to mock Abians or out of philanthropic gesture? Whatever be the case, the better part of wisdom is outrightly relieving Agbuazuere and also handing him over to appropriate agencies, maybe anti-corruption agencies for a proper investigation.
“While the government under His Excellency Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Ph.D. battles with reduced allocation accruing from the Federal Allocation Accounts Committee (FAAC) as a result of the global crash in oil price and while Abia State Government faces challenges of fixing infrastructure and paying workers’ salaries, a sad development like this occurs. This may not portray the government of the day in good light and so the moral burden lies on the state government to ensure that justice is done to the letter.
“Even if the said money belongs to Agbazuere or from proceeds of his legitimate toiling and hard work, it is against the law and convention, even, to embark on such gaudy and extravagant fanfare.
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