– Fails To Address Issue Of Indebtedness To Over 20% Pensioners, Civil Servants
The Accountant General of Imo State Linus Okafor and one of his media hirelings have vowed to mobilize other top government officials of like mind to close down Nigeria Watchdog Newspaper and arrest their staff for performing their lawful duties as watchdogs of the society.
Okafor, who stated this while reacting to a recent report about how he abdicated his statutory duties and responsibilities, reached out to one of the reporters of Nigeria Watchdog Newspaper (name withheld) to express his anger over the report which he considers distasteful. Okafor, overwhelmed by anger, said, “what is holding you? Why don’t you publish your so-called indiciting report and see the consequences”
Shortly after Okafor’s threatening message, one of his media hirelings,a low brow Newspaper publisher as if aligning with and speaking the mind of his principal, also, responded to the report thus, “Try and publish anything again about the Accountant General and see if we will not use the police to close down your media house and arrest the staff of Nigeria Watchdog Newspaper. You will be made to prove all your write ups against the Accountant General at the appropriate time and place. Okafor’s media hireling, also disclosed that he is currently mobilizing and liaising with all government officials who Nigeria Watchdog newspaper has at one time or the other written negative reports about to ensure that the newspaper outfit is closed down.
When our reporter tried to make the AG comment on why some Imo civil servants and pensioners are still owed several months arrears of salaries and pensioners, the Account General who, apparently was more interested in unleashing his media hireling on the people with deceptive and diversionary reports and threats on Nigeria Watchdog Newspaper, refused to make any categorical statement about the core issue of non payment of pensions and salaries which has reportedly impacted negatively on about 20% of Imo pensioners and civil servants who are affected.
Recall that in one of our previous editions, a group known as “Imoilites For Good Governance, threatened to make public a report that allegedly indicted the Accountant General when he was the Bursar of Imo State Polytechnic. The group also stated that they are not surprised about abysmal performance considering his track record as a former Manager of the defunct Intercontinental bank.
Agba, a seasoned technocrat and renowned human rights activist, had in an exclusive interview with Nigeria Watchdog Newspaper stated that, over 20% of pensioners in the state are being owed several months arrears of pensions and gratuity because the Accountant General and Terrence Onyejiaku, have muddled up the entire pension process in the state because they know little or nothing about it.
He also faulted the incessant verification exercises conducted by the state government as a fraudulent ploy to divert peoples’ money into the personal accounts of some dishonest civil servants and political appointees.
The group further promised to publish the report and recommendations of the investigative panel in no distant time, adding that no amount of threat or intimidation will deter them from advocating the Accountant General’s sack so that Imo Civil servants and pensioners will have a new lease of life.
