– Say; Office Causing More Problems For Civil Servants, Pensioners
A retired Permanent Secretary and former Chairman, Association of Retired Permanent Secretaries in Imo State, Chief F.I. Agab, has faulted the appointment of the Governor Uzodinma’s kinsman Terrence Onyejiaku as the de facto Accountant General of Imo State, contrary to the rules, procedure and guidelines of vthe civil service.
Agba, a notable human rights activist and vocal commentator on contemporary issues stated this in an exclusive interview with Nigeria Watchdog Newspaper.
He regretted that the Accountant General of the state, Linus Okafor kept quiet and allowed Terrence, a novice, who knows practically nothing about accounting procedure to usurp his duties and responsibilities.
According to Agba, the implication of what is happening which he described as an aberration is that “if Terrence who is not a career civil servant absconds with the funds of Imo people, nobody can question or challenge him. The position of the Accountant General of the state should be attained through promotion and not by mere appointment. It is also the same thing with the position of Permanent Secretary. But today, the system has been bastardized, as people are now brought in from anywhere to occupy sensitive positions in the civilk service.”
“The Governor has committed a lot of blunders. But the worst and most worrisome is entrusting the funds of the state into the hands of a complete stranger who is neither a civil servant nor has civil service background. He cannot be audited by the Auditor General of the State”.
The retired Permanent Secretary further stated that many pensioners in the state have suffered untold hardship while many have been sent to their early graves as a result of the activities of Terrence who unilaterally deducts huge amounts of money from peoples’ emoluments and deprives some entirely of their salaries and pensions without minding the effects it will have on them.
“The disturbing part of it is that you can’t even go to seek redress in the office of the Accountant General, because, he will not give you audience. Until the Governor relieves the so-called Terrence Onyejiaku of his duties pensioners and civil servants in the state will continue to suffer”.
