IBIN WRITE PRESIDENT BUHARI ON IMO PARIS CLUB REFUND

The Frontline civil society group in Imo state, Imo Bilie Initiative for Social Justice has written President Muhammadu Buhari over the Paris club fund refund to the state from the federal government. In a letter dated 21st of March signed by Activist Aku Obidinma(Abdul) and Dr. Uzochukwu Chukwuebuka, the National Coordinator and the General Secretary respectively and released to reporters, the group called on the President to authorise a thorough investigation to ascertain if the first tranche of the fund released to the state were judiciously utilised for the purpose it was meant for.

They decried the inability of the state government to fully pay workers and pensioners up to date even after she has received the bailout fund of 26.8 billion Naira and the over 13 billion Naira first tranche of the Paris club refund in less than one year. It will be recalled that the Imo state government citing lean resources have cut the salaries of workers by 30% while pensioners were forced to forfeit 60% of their statutory entitlements. There has been an upsurge in the demand for stewardship accountability from the government by the citizens and groups in the state, with the latest coming from the Independent Newspaper Publishers Association (INPA) in the state. However the government remains unyielding and snobbish the calls, an action the IBIN leader Aku Obidinma described as unfortunate and very disturbing development for our democracy.