A campaign group, Divine Mandate Campaign Organisation, has debunked the rumour that Ebonyi State Deputy Governor and the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Dave Umahi, was behind the state’s government failure to pay the salaries of local government workers.

The Director, Media and Publicity of the group, Abia Onyike, in a statement, on Sunday, noted that the allegation that Umahi was also responsible for the recent freezing of the accounts of the councils was untrue.

He said that the insinuations were the handiwork of the deputy governor’s detractors, adding that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission were merely carrying out their duties by scrutinising the finances of the state.

Onyike said, “It is common knowledge that the anti-graft agencies are doing their statutory duties by questioning the misuse of Sure-P funds and the asphalting of government premises.”

He maintained that the freezing of the accounts of the councils should not be a reason for the non-payment of workers’ salaries in the state as “there is and has always been a standing rule which stipulates that workers salaries should be set aside during such exercises.”

Onyike, a former Commissioner for Information and Orientation, charged the workers to ask pertinent questions about the state of affairs in the councils, adding that no meaningful development has taken place in their communities due to “alleged fraudulent activities in the councils.”

He added, “A case in point is the alleged misappropriation of N1.1bn fund which was recently given to caretaker council chairmen for the funding of the Labour Party and for personal uses.

“We challenge the Ebonyi State Government to publish the accounts of the SURE-P funds in the state, in the spirit of attitudinal change and in line with the tenets of the Freedom of Information Act for accountability and best practices in public service.”