By Dave Uka
The Executive Chairman of Ezza South local government Hon Mrs Euphemia Nwali has denied that her administration is owning councillors salaries and allowances
Mrs Nwali was reacting to a report that the council was owning the councillors for nine months allowance.
The council boss who described the accusation as a lie and plot to disparage her good records in office noted that her administration from its inception had never owned or withheld allowances and salaries of councillors or staff.
She explained that salaries of workers including councillors and their entitlements are paid promptly
Recall that Hon Ukpabi and Oviga Cletus Oviga of Amezekwe ward had accused the chairman of withholding their entitlements for nine months and misappropriation of council fund.
Trouble started when about seven councillors passed a vote of confidence on the council chairman, Mrs. Nwali, during her 2024 budget presentation at the council headquarters in Onueke.
It was gathered that some councillors opposed and protested the vote of confidence on the chairman, Nwali which resulted serious security breach at the council headquarters in Onueke, vandalization of many vehicles, stabbing of some persons with machetes.
One of the councillors, Mr Ukpabi Henry representing Amagu/Nsokkara ward, who addressed newsmen in Abakaliki shortly after the clash, said: “The council chairman is not doing what she is supposed to be doing at the council. The councillors don’t know what is going on in the council. The councillors don’t have any entitlement in the council.
“She did not pay us our legislative votes for nine months now. The council headquarters is overgrown with weeds. Cultism and robbery are back in the council. The council has been enjoying relative peace, but it’s no more now,” he stated.
He, however, called on the state governor, Francis Nwifuru, to call the council chairman, Nwali, to order and mandate her to pay them their entitlements.
But the council chairman Mrs Nwali insisted that the report was false contradicted all verifiable facts and evidence in the council.
She accused Hon Ukpabi of being sponsored by a Senator from the area to destabilize her administration in the council.
Nwali said: “I was presenting the 2024 budget, and everything was peaceful. The councillors passed a vote of confidence on my administration because of the peace and infrastructural facilities we have provided for the people in the council, but Ukpabi opposed it and rushed to take the mess, but other councillors overpowered him and collected it back from him.”
“He started making noise and causing trouble inside the hall. He went outside and collected a machete from his car and started snatching cars that belong to councillors and other properties that belong to the council,” she said.
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