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Tag: Umahi

  • Insecurity: Ebonyi orders native doctors to register with govt, police

    Insecurity: Ebonyi orders native doctors to register with govt, police

    Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi has directed all native doctors and traditional medicine dealers in the state to register with the state government and the police within seven days.

    Umahi gave the directive on Wednesday after the weekly state security council meeting in Abakaliki.

    “There would be an executive order to this effect and anyone caught doing otherwise would be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.

    He also directed that all wake-keeps and other social activities in the state must end by 6 p.m., charging council chairmen and relevant security outfits to enforce the order.

    “Anyone who defies this directive would pay a fine of N1 million as criminal activities are perpetrated through these wake-keeps which last through the night,” he said.

    He called for a cessation of the killings of security personnel, civilians and destruction of public facilities, noting that they are purely criminal activities.

    “The perpetrators post such killings and destruction on the social media, claiming that they are members of the Indigenous People of Biafra or the Eastern Security Network.

    “I am not standing for either group but they continued to deny that they are not into violence.

    “I direct security agencies to crack down on all criminal activities in the state and prosecute all culprits,” he said.

    Umahi regretted the rampant circulation of fake news in the state and warned that the government would no longer tolerate such.

    “Someone posted on Wednesday that herders attacked a school in Abakaliki and schools began to close and people running in panic.

    “Anyone who circulates fake news whether from the opposition or in agreement with me would be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.

  • Umahi gives native doctors ultimatum to register with govt, police

    Umahi gives native doctors ultimatum to register with govt, police

    Gov. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi has directed all native doctors and traditional medicine dealers in the state to register with the state government and the police within seven days.

    Umahi gave the directive on Wednesday after the weekly state security council meeting in Abakaliki.

    “There would be an executive order to this effect and anyone caught doing otherwise would be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.

    He also directed that all wake-keeps and other social activities in the state must end by 6 p.m., charging council chairmen and relevant security outfits to enforce the order.

    “Anyone who defies this directive would pay a fine of N1 million as criminal activities are perpetrated through these wake-keeps which last through the night,” he said.

    He called for a cessation to the killings of security personnel, civilians and destruction of public facilities, noting that they are purely criminal activities.

    “The perpetrators post such killings and destruction on the social media, claiming that they are members of the Indigenous People of Biafra or the Eastern Security Network.

    “I am not standing for either groups but they continued to deny that they are not into violence.

    “I direct security agencies to crack down on all criminal activities in the state and prosecute all culprits,” he said.

    Umahi regretted the rampant circulation of fake news in the state and warned that the government would no longer tolerate such.

    “Someone posted on Wednesday that herders attacked a school in Abakaliki and schools began to close and people running in panic.

    “Anyone who circulates fake news whether from the opposition or in agreement with me would be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.

  • Umahi speaks as herdsmen attack, kill 15 in four Ebonyi communities

    Umahi speaks as herdsmen attack, kill 15 in four Ebonyi communities

    Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi has condemned the attack on some communities in Ishielu Local Government Area of the state by suspected gunmen.

    The attack took place on Monday night in Nkalaha, Obegu, Amazu, Nkalagu and Umuhuali Autonomous Communities.

    At least 15 persons were reportedly killed during the attack, allegedly carried out by herders.

    Umahi visited the communities on Tuesday to commiserate with the bereaved families and also ascertain the level of damage by the assailants.

    Addressing the people, he expressed sadness over the gruesome attack.

    He charged all the security agencies in the state to go after the perpetrators in order to bring them to justice.

    “I got very shocking news this afternoon about the attack on about four communities in the state.

    “We feel so sad that this kind of thing should happen in Ebonyi, we feel so worried for our country Nigeria and we are short of words.

    “We condemn this attack because it is capable of causing very serious killings, if allowed to continue this way,” he said.

    Umahi appealed to the communities to remain calm and shun reprisal attacks.

  • It’s time to curtail Umahi’s civilian dictatorship in Ebonyi – CSOs

    It’s time to curtail Umahi’s civilian dictatorship in Ebonyi – CSOs

    A Civil-Society Coalition, made up of Human Rights/Media Organizations, Labour/Professional Unions and Student Groups have signed up to come together and use all legal and legitimate means to checkmate the excesses of Enugu State Governor,David Umahi.

    A statement released by Abia Onyike, Co-ordinator, Coalition of Civil Society Groups on the Ebonyi Project said Umahi’s abuse of human rights, oppression and lawlessness in Ebonyi state.

    The statement reads: “Umahi is known to have used his high office to abuse the social and economic rights of all categories of public sector workers in Ebonyi state.

    “The coalition vowed to expose the untold atrocities of Gov. Umahi and let all Nigerians know that he is running a slave camp in Ebonyi state whose inmates are getting tired of suffering from untold hardship. He has held on to the gratuities of retired civil servants since he came into office six years ago.

    “Workers in the state civil service are denied promotions and when they are promoted, the financial benefits are seized by the orders of Umahi. He has no respect to the statutory rights of public and retired officers. Umahi’s extreme wickedness and callousness has caused the instalmental but silent deaths of many of these officers who were forced to starve untill they passed away.

    “The Civil Society Coalition has investigated Gov. Umahi’s subterranean infiltration into opposition political parties, the bullying of his critics and the intimidation of the Judiciary/Judiciary staff which manifested in the recent interrogation of a Magistrate in the State Judiciary for granting bail to an official of an opposition political party. Umahi must drop his secret and open sponsorship of political hirelings to undermine rival political parties in the state. It is an act of political criminality for democratically elected leaders to spend public funds to undermine the legitimate existence of opposition political parties in a democratic society.

    “A former American President, Richard Nixon was humiliated and forced to resign from office on account of his meddling into the affairs of the opposition party in order to secure an electoral gain. American citizens viewed his actions with disdain and Nixon had to pay a heavy price in the celebrated Watergate scandal. Umahi’s penchant for creating crisis in opposition parties,(an ignoble act which he himself voices, acknowledges and even boasts about) is a sign of his political bankruptcy. Recall that Gov. Umahi sometime in 2020 stated openly that he will sponsor crisis in the opposition party and while the crisis persists, he will be sipping his Champagne. These are the issues the Civil Society Coalition will deal with because Umahi must be made answer to certain ethical and moral questions as a leader in a democratic dispensation. The Coalition will drag him to the Court of Public Opinion to checkmate his excesses so that he doesn’t get away with the impression that he presided over a banana republic.

    “The Civil Society Coalition would invoke the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act to compell Gov. Umahi to give account of his stewardship in Ebonyi state. Ebonyians would like to know the amount spent in the execution of every project in the state. Citizens would and should be encouraged to ask relevant questions about how their collective patrimony was being deployed. Gov. Umahi should answer questions about the mystery behind certain projects. Why is it that the Shopping Mall cannot be completed in six years? Again why is it that the Presidential Lodge in Ochudo cannot be completed. Explanations to these questions are petinent because tongues are wagging. Some people are of the view that the aforementioned projects are nothing but conduit pipes for siphoning public funds into private pockets.

    “They argue that the Mall was not conceived as a project to be completed because even as at today, Umahi does not know what to do with it after over #6 billion may have been invested into it. Moreover, it is very strange how a wretched state like Ebonyi was railroaded into such a capital intensive project, whereas the ShopRite in Enugu was finance by South African private sector investors. How come that the so-called Ecumenical Centre built by Umahi has not been donated to the Christendom for Ecumenical purposes? How come it is now being used to host all kinds of meetings including APC meetings. In other words the Ecumenical Centre was a fraud from the beginning. Is it the duty of the state to fund the building of religious institutions in a secular society? If you build one for Christians, then what of Moslems, African Traditionalists Animists and Atheists.

    “Gov. Umahi should also respond to allegations that he has converted Ebonyi state businesses into his private trading companies. Why should an elected public officer allow his businesses to be run in such a manner that his interests are promoted and protected with the use of his official powers? Is that ethical? Umahi’s filling stations which are hardly patronized by Abakaliki residents have been imposed as the official supplier of fuel and gas to the State Government on a retainership basis for the powering of street lights in Abakaliki and the 13 LGAs while other competitors in that sector are totally excluded. Secondly, Umahi promptly closed down the state government-owned hotels after his inauguration in 2015 and diverted all VIPs visiting the state to his personal hotel- Osborne La Palm, where he pays himself from government coffers. Then he unilaterally converted the Permanent site of Ebonyi Hotels at Ugwuachara to the Engineering Faculty of Ebonyi State University, which is even yet to take off. What type of government is that?

    “The Civil Society Coalition has investigated some of Gov. Umahi’s falsehood in order to debunk them for the political education and mobilisation of the masses whom he has impoverished in the last six years of his tragic and painful administration. In an attempt to cover up the sources of his sudden personal financial and material triumphalism, Umahi boasted to Abakaliki traders that he became a billionaire at 25. But that was a very fat lie. Umahi says he was born in 1963, which means that he turned 25 in 1988. At that time, he was still a student at the Anambra State University of Science and Technology (ASUTECH).

    “He later graduated and went into oblivion and remained an unknown quantity until 2006 when he was brought into Ebonyi state from Port Harcourt. The former Deputy Governor of the state, Prof. Chigozie Ogbu brought him to do some contracts. Later on he betrayed Ogbu by refusing to support Ogbu’s governorship bid. Overnight, he joined the camp of Obinna Ogba( now a Senator), who was running for the Guber primaries in PDP and positioned himself to be Ogba’s deputy.

    “When eventually Ogba didn’t make it, he quickly switched over to the camp of former Governor, Chief Marin Elechi who won the primaries. Note that when he came in 2006, the self-proclaimed billionaire was sleeping at Brass Filling station, along Ogoja Road, opposite a popular restaurant. In the election proper in 2007, Umahi manifested his anarchic tendency by insisting that former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu of ANPP who was Elechi’s opponent must be made to fail the election in his Uburu community where both of them come from.

    “Then the youths of Uburu resisted him and at the end of the fracas, his properties( houses, hotel and filling station) were burnt and he alongside his supporters ran for their dear lives and went into assylum. It was on that basis that Elechi saw Umahi as a great man and made him the state Chairman of PDP. That marked the begining of the castration of Ebonyi state and its subsequent destruction and liquidation. So Umahi’s billions only came in 2009 when as the State Chairman of PDP, he was awarded the contract for the reconstruction of the Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway(from PDP State Secretariat to Onuebonyi River) at the cost of #3.8 billion. He did a very shabby job and the bridge at the centre of that road stretch is always developing faults. The rest is now history.

    “The Coalion of Civil Society groups has commenced investigation into allegations of massive looting of Ebonyi treasury by Gov. Umahi and his surrogates. In January this year, the photograph of a multi-story five-star hotel allegedly owned by Gov. Umahi was widely circulated in the social media. The property located along Abacha Road in PH GRA was estimated to have cost over N40 billion.

    “The Governor has not reacted to that. After that, a Magazine known as the Gazzette published details of alleged money laundering involving Umahi and his business concerns beginning from when he was the deputy Governor of Ebonyi state. Umahi threatened fire and brimstone. In response to his threats, some Human Rights groups asked the United States and European Union governments to place a visa-ban on Gov. Umahi.

    The Civil Society Coalition will not be deterred or distracted by Gov. Umahi’s acts of intimidation. If he does not want criticism, let him do the right things. If he cannot do the right things, let him resign and say good-bye to public office.

     

  • Remove your minds from politics, Umahi tells Ebonyi youths

    Remove your minds from politics, Umahi tells Ebonyi youths

    Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, has cautioned youths of the state against indulging in politics, telling them to be successful first.

    The governor gave this directive on Wednesday during an Ebonyi State #EndSARS Summit hosted by the state government in Abakaliki.

    Umahi said, “Remove your minds from politics and succeed first. Those who are manipulating politics are the wealthy men and women.

    “That man that made every one of us be a councillor, go and find out his situation. Has he made any progress? The answer is no.

    “I hear government should provide jobs. Let us even say jobs are provided, N30, 000 minimum wages. In one year, it is N360, 000. What are you doing with that?”

    The governor said he is under pressure by the people in his village, noting that his predecessors had employed people from their villages while being at the helms of affairs in the state.

    He told the youths that his decision not to follow the path of ex-governors of Ebonyi State was not impoverish the people who he said were the future leaders.

    Governor Umahi recalled that while he served as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, the executive members of the party were business people.

    “You can only give what you have. Some of you run after the politicians, some of them never went to school. Some of them have nothing to offer, they brainwash you.

    “You become their thugs, their families are overseas. It is our own, what are you doing at a party? A party you know in Ebonyi State is me,” he added.

    The governor also charged youths in the state to remain steadfast in the pursuit of their dreams.

    The event brought together youths from the 13 local government areas served as an avenue to inculcate right values that aim to make them better citizens.

  • Ugwuanyi replaces Umahi as new PDP leader in South East

    Ugwuanyi replaces Umahi as new PDP leader in South East

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu on Monday adopted Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State as the new leader in the South East Zone.
    Mr Ali Odefa, the Acting Chairman of the PDP in South East made this known to newsmen shortly after its meeting in the state.
    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that Ugwuanyi was adopted the leader following the defection of the South East Governors’ Forum’s Chairman, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Nov. 17, 2020.
    With that with the defection, PDP now had control of Abia and Enugu States in the zone.
    Odefa said that the party adopted Ugwuanyi because of his commitment to the party.
    ”We unanimously adopted Gov Ugwuanyi as leader of PDP in the South East zone because of his immeasurable contributions in the region.
    ”We are sure and satisfied that he will lead South East PDP to success,” he said.
    He said that the party considered the governors outstanding performance in office and in a consensus, adopted him as leader of the party.
    Speaking on the forthcoming Anambra governorship election, Odefa said that the party was putting heads together to ensure success in the election.
    ”PDP South East is putting its house in order, we are drawing and calculating and at the fullest of time, the successes will announce the effort we have made so far, ” Odefa said.
  • Gov Umahi using security operatives to harass us, forcefully seized our lands, community cries out

    Gov Umahi using security operatives to harass us, forcefully seized our lands, community cries out

    The people of Umuchima situated in Uburu community in Ebonyi state has called out Governor, David Umahi for allegedly confiscating their lands with use of force.

    The disputed land has reportedly caused lots of mayhem and destruction of properties in the said community.

    A report published in Independent.ng revealed that since Umahi became the governor of Ebonyi State, Umuchima people have been having unresolved issues with him (Umahi) over what they described as forceful takeover of their lands allegedly by the governor, without compensations, discussion or dialogue.

    Uburu community comprises of 14 villages, namely: Umunaga, Amenu, Umuoduigbo, Umuanum, Umuchima, Umuaneketa, Mgbom, Uhuaba,Amegu, Ogwu, Umuobuna, Umuag wuoke, Urobo and Ihenu. Umunaga village where Governor Umahi hails from shares a common boundary with Umuchima, the largest village, both in terms of land mass and population.

    The issue came to a head a week ago when some youths of Umuchima allegedly destroyed a session of the fence of the ongoing Ebonyi State College of Medicine Project in the area.

    According to the report, In retaliation, some government officials from Uburu community allegedly led youths to Umuchima village and demolished houses and other properties of the villagers. Policemen and soldiers were also drafted to the village allegedly on the orders of the governor. A lot of persons, it was gathered, were arrested, while many others fled the village for fear of arrest and incarceration.

    Unable to bear the situation, aged women, men and youths of Umuchima village penultimate Saturday, embarked on a peaceful protest, round the community.

    The natives, who said they were not against the state government siting any development projects in the village, alleged that their ancestral lands were now being forcefully taken for personal use in the name of government.

    They further accused the governor of siting all the projects in his Umunaga village and was only grabbing their ancestral lands at the boundaries to continue the development of his village.

    The protesters who were in their hundreds, carried placards bearing inscriptions such as, “No to Fulani settlement at Enuebor Umuchima”, “Ebonyi State Government respect the sanctity of ancestral homes,” “Our children are dying of hunger, stop destroying our economic trees,” Dave Umahi leave our ancestral lands alone,” and save, rebuild our ancestral homes you destroyed”. The protesters marched round their demolished homes and major parts of Uburu community.

    They also alleged that the government officials from the area were using cultists and security agents to harass and intimidate members of the village.

    The people further accused the governor and government of Ebonyi State of destroying over 20 houses and arresting over nine members of the village for voicing out against injustice meted against them.

    They demanded that the government should stop using soldiers and cultists to harass them, alleging that they were living in perpetual fear of maim and intimidation by security agents.

    Speaking on the development, a native of Umuchima and former governorship candidate of the Independent Democratic (ID), in Ebonyi State in 2019, Mr. Uchechukwu Obasi, urged the state government, to expedite action in restoring peace and order at Umuchima community, saying it was high time illegal arrests and destruction of property in the area, stopped.

    The former flagbearer of the ID in the state, alleged that ancestral lands belonging to natives of the area had been confiscated, stressing that economic trees in the area, were also being destroyed.

    Obasi stated this during a press conference, in Abakaliki, on Wednesday, maintaining that it was naturally fair for the government to stop intimidation and harassment of poor indigenes of the area.

    “In the recent weeks, I have been inundated with calls from my kinsmen alleging wanton destruction of their properties, gestapo arrest and intimidation of worthy indigenes cum balkanization, annexation and unlawful seizure of their ancestral lands, homes and economic trees by the agents of the state government and their cronies.

    “Swiftly, I did put a call across to two of our sons who are somewhat close to the government, viz; Professor Enyi Patrick Enyi and Mr. Chris Enyi Ore. While the former picked the first call put across to him, the latter had refused taking any of my calls to his cell phone, neither returning same. In the defense of the gestapo arrest of our people, the professor said they were arrested owing to their antecedents and for taking the government to court over an ancestral land.

    “Left in shock, I reached out to some of the other people named for arrest but who for fear of their life had ran out of the community-umuchima.”

    Obasi went further to give the background of the bone of contention thus:

    “Industrial cluster initiated by this administration during her first tenure was cited in Uburu the home town of the governor cutting across the ancestral lands of two villages: Umunaga (the governor’s village) and Umuchima (the bleeding community). Unfortunately, this was done without due consultation, processes and adequate compensation. Surprisingly, the official gazette recognized Umunaga as the bonafide owner of the land with no credit to Umuchima. I remembered engaging Chris Enyi Ore on the matter and he lamented that Umuchima community appears helpless with no help in sight.

    “Then came the governor again that he needs another expanse of land for infrastructural development. And my people said, yes, we are willing to donate hence it guarantees great future for our people living and yet unborn. But with the caveat that the governor must acknowledge receipt of the said land. Rather than continue the process initiated, the state government chose divide and rule approach, claiming seizure on the guise that the land is in contention between Umuchima community and Ihenu. Lies. Not too long, it surfaced that the land in question was being acquired in the name of Brass Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited. Then, some of our people took the government to the court.”

    Another stakeholder from the village, Mr. Ogbonnaya Okey (Prince Kenayas) in an interview, accused Governor Umahi of using the name of government to forcefully takeover their ancestral lands, even as he said the village was not against development.

    Okey further told Umahi to wear a human face, and respect the fundamental rights of the people of Umuchima village.

    He said, “Nobody is against development; and of course, we are happy that the governor is from our place. Umuchima is the biggest village, in terms of land mass and population, out of the 14 villages of Uburu community. When David Umahi became Governor, there is this land dispute between Umuchima and Ihenu people. Ihenu is a neighbouring village which is also part of Uburu autonomous community.

    “Being our brother, he said he does not want the kind of crisis that happens in other places to happen in his own community. So, he came into the matter. But some of us were not happy the way our land was ceded to Ihenu people and we suspected a foul play. We later discovered that Ihenu people have gone behind our back to donate the disputed land to Governor Umahi.

    “A few other persons from our village who don’t have even a parcel of land within the area in dispute also backed the ceding of the land to the governor. When the governor came and said he had resolved the matter and that the two villages involved had given him the land, I was opportune to see the documents signed in respect to that land and it was done in a company’s name. It was not donated to Ebonyi State Government, but to a company owned by the Governor. Some persons went to court, and the case is still pending in court.

    “If you go to governor’s compound in Umunaga, you will see how large that compound is. Most of those lands are forcefully taken from Umuchima people. The College of Medicine is on Umunaga and Umuchima land but we have no problem with that, because it is for development. The industrial cluster is sitting on Umunaga land, but he expanded it to Umuchima land. And we didn’t complain even though we don’t know whether that cluster is a state government cluster or personal project. Until it starts functioning we will know.

    “He brought Federal Housing estate project to the land of Umuchima at Enuegu Umuchima. Now, he wants to build an estate, a federal government project that involves land of individuals where our ancestors were buried without any recourse to our people. Even though Land Use Act empowers a governor to takeover a land, but such should be for the public’s interest. And you cannot takeover a land for a public interest without compensating the owner of the land.

    “At least, let us know at which point are you taking the land and to where. The owners of these lands, what are their compensations? Some of these lands are people’s farm lands and ancestral homes, how are you going to give them alternative source of livelihood. They have even started demolishing and destroying people’s house there without any recourse to the people.

    “What the governor did was that he gave out N2 million to some members of his party who came to his house to share. Is that the compensation?

    “Now, they said some people broke a fence of the College of Medicine. Personally, I don’t condone that; that’s a violent act, but that’s why we have the police. It does not call for the invitation of soldiers in a civil environment, as he did.

    “The governor, out of anger, mobilized his Development Centre Coordinators who went to Umuchima and started demolishing poor people’s buildings and other properties with military protection. People of Umuchima were also being arrested and incarcerated. The villagers are currently on the run. We demand for discussion and dialogue with the governor, because we think he has been speaking with wrong people. He must deal with owners of the lands or their representatives as appointed by them.

    “We don’t want to be living in fear. It takes courage for me to even be speaking to the press, because by tomorrow, my name will be added to the list of those they want. We don’t want to continue to live in fear in Uburu.

    “There should be adequate compensation to the people whose lands have been taken, and of course, you don’t take people’s belongings by force, it should be through discussion and dialogue. We shouldn’t be harassed by the police and soldiers every now and then. And we want to be carried along in any project that is brought to our village. Whether it is a government or personal project, we need to know. Nobody should take our land in the name of government.”

    Also, Mr. Ikechukwu Obasi from Umuchima, said, “We reject a situation where development is forced down on the throat of the people. We all want development. But it is not forced down on the throat of the people. The right thing should be done; and we are averse to any form of injustice by way of intimidation, threat and wanton arrest.

    “We are calling for peace and the right thing should be done. You need to get the consensus of the people, their approval over issues like this and resettle, when necessary. The government should follow due process and the people that have been illegally arrested and incarcerated without fair hearing, should be released. Also, wanton arrest and intimidation of citizens should cease.”

    Another native of Umuchima, Mr. Ezinwa James, told our correspondent that they were against the invasion of their ancestral homes and farmlands by the government, saying peace had left the area, since 2020 when the state government allegedly invaded the area, scrambling for a communal land.

    According to James, “The Ebonyi State Government just entered the communal lands and started seizing them, claiming it was going to site some projects in the area. This was in 2020 and till date, the governor didn’t consult anybody, not even the traditional leaders of the community. This is sheer desecration of respected and established traditional institutions. This is unacceptable and we cannot take it.

    “People’s homes, over 20 of them had been demolished in the area and there’s ongoing desecration of sacred places. This is evil. Our young men and women have been arrested, and aside this, people’s farmlands are destroyed. There is now jungle justice in Umuchima and it is only God that can help us. As we speak, many of us no longer sleep in our homes, for fear of midnight arrest and abduction.”

    Another resident, Lawrence Onuorah, told our correspondent that the state government was allegedly planning outright extinction of people of the entire area, wondering why it had not taken concrete steps to addressing the situation, since it began.

    Onuorah said, “This is not how to do things, even if you are well-placed. You should try and respect the right of others. The government is using a few people (politicians) to get at the village people. But we will not allow them. We know them and we will continue to reject their plans.”

    But Ebonyi State Government, through the Commissioner for Information, Barrister Uchenna Orji, in a swift reaction, denied the allegations, saying that what happened in the village, had nothing to do with either the state government or its officials. It added that those, who were arrested, were allegedly involved in malicious damage.

    According to the Commissioner, “You need to appreciate the difference between a people of a community and a disgruntled few of a community. The people of Umuchima, made of the stakeholders, the youth leadership, the traditional rulers and the people of Umuchima both home and abroad, have given their full support to the government presence in the community.

    “And that is the issue of Federal Low-Cost Housing, which the civil servants and indeed the indigenes of that place will benefit. Full consultations made, certification made and consent given by the entire leadership and the good people of the community, including youths. Long ago, there was a groundbreaking of a federal housing project in that place that will bring about social security that will bring about so many economic activities in the place. That will enhance the economic activities of that place and the state in general and further appreciate the land value in the place, and will warrant so many other ancillary activities to the place.

    “So, nobody raised any alarm, but just a few disgruntled people in that community who have decided to behave like hoodlums. This is either because they were uninformed or they were misinformed about the good intentions of the government of Ebonyi State.

    “Don’t forget that these housing projects are not just in Ohaozara Local Government Area, it’s also in Izzi Local Government Area and people are looking for it, including my own local government area of Ivo, to be sited in their domains. But this has graciously come to Umuchima.

    “And so, no person is against it, except a few who must have been brainwashed. Having said that, what happened has no connection, whatsoever with the state government or government officials. If anybody was about to commit a crime and the youths went after the disgruntled individuals who were involved in malicious damage and handed them over to the police.”

    It is the fear of the stakeholders that if the issues are not properly handled, the crisis brewing in the area may outlive the present administration.

  • Umahi debunks attack on herders in Ebonyi, orders arrest of persons circulating fake video

    Umahi debunks attack on herders in Ebonyi, orders arrest of persons circulating fake video

    The Ebonyi government on Monday ordered the arrest of circulators of a video on social media that Fulani herdsmen were being attacked and chased out of the state.

    Gov. David Umahi said at a news conference in Abakaliki that the video was faked.

    He ordered security agencies to investigate the source of the video and arrest the circulators.

    The governor said the video had caused panic and tension.

    “Security personnel must ensure that those behind the circulation of the video, which has caused panic across the country, are brought to book.

    “We must increase our security surveillance at the grassroots level. I urge the security agencies to step up and arrest persons circulating the video on social media,’’ Umahi said.

    Mr Inusa Sani, Secretary, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Ebonyi Chapter, condemned the misleading video, adding that “it is fake news.’’

    “The video is an orchestrated attempt by mischief makers and enemies of peace.

    “What happened was that on Jan. 2, one of us, Alhaji Adamu, residing at Ozibo Village in Nkaleke Ichaba/Enyibishiri community, informed the association of his relocation to Taraba State.

    “I use this opportunity to urge the general public to disregard the video in circulation and no Fulani herdsman was attacked or chased out of Ebonyi State,’’ Sani said.

    He said herdsmen had co-habited peacefully with their host communities without any fear, molestation, threat or intimidation from any quarter.

    The Police Command in Ebonyi had on Sunday issued a statement noting that Fulani herdsmen were not attacked or being chased out of the state.

    Also speaking at the news conference, Mr Philip Maku, Commissioner of Police in the state, assured the public of the Command’s readiness to protect lives and property.

    “The general public should disregard the video in circulation, which is misleading and fake. Keep going about your normal business and support the security agencies and state government at ensuring that those behind the evil plot are fished out,’’ Maku admonished.

    Dr Keneth Igwe, Secretary to the State Government, said the distorted and misleading video was propagated by the enemies of Ebonyi.

    “We cannot keep quiet on any issue that is trying to tarnish the image of our dear state or cause disorder. We have enjoyed maximum peace with our Fulani brothers.

    “The security chiefs are here and there is no incident of an attack on herders in the state; we therefor urge the general public to disregard the misleading video,’’ Igwe said.

  • Umahi still remains our leader, friend in PDP – Lawmaker

    Umahi still remains our leader, friend in PDP – Lawmaker

    A federal lawmaker, Chief Sylvester Ogbaga, says Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi remains the leader and friend of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, notwithstanding his defection to the All Progressives Party (APC).

    Ogbaga, representing Abakaliki/ Izzi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, stated this at Isu, Onicha Local Government Area on Sunday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lawmaker spoke, while interacting with newsmen on the sidelines of the distribution of items to the indigents by Ebele and Anyi Chuks Foundation, on Sunday.

    NAN also reports that animosities had broken out between supporters PDP and APC supporters in the state, following Umahi’s recent defection.

    Ogbaga, a fourth-term member of the lower legislative chamber, stated that although Umahi had joined APC, he rose to political stardom on the platform of PDP.

    ”We have no two governors in Ebonyi, and we expect him as our leader to address the threats to PDP members and the general insecurity in the state.

    ”It is still surprising that Umahi, who remains our friend and brother, joined APC when we were expecting the party to meet the expectations of Nigerians,” he said.

    Ogbaga called on the governor to address the human resources aspect of his administration and arrest the present situation in the state.

    ”We call on our very friendly governor, who has constructed lots of concrete roads and flyovers, among others, to pay special attention to stomach infrastructure.

    ”We also call on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to address the issue of insecurity in the country.

    ”This is because farmers are adversely affected by this development and if not checked, we may be drifting toward food crisis,” he said.

    The lawmaker commended the founder of the foundation, Dr Ifeanyichukwu Odii, for his massive empowerment of the people and called on other wealthy Nigerians to emulate him.

    ”People like Odii deserve to be given national awards because they have assisted the needy in the society without holding governmental or political positions,” he said.

  • How Umahi’s journey to APC started two years ago in PDP – Adesina

    How Umahi’s journey to APC started two years ago in PDP – Adesina

    Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President Muhammadu Buhari said Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi had always love APC long before he defected to the party from Peoples Democratic Party.

    Adesina in a piece on Friday titled, ‘Dave Umahi’s Heart of Lion’, noted that the Ebonyi State governor started revealing his love for the All Progressives Congress two years ago.

    He noted that Umahi sent his deputy to attend a meeting for Governors elected on the platform of the APC.

    “My first inkling of what was on the way was about two years ago. There was a meeting of Progressive Governors (as those elected on the platform of APC are called), and Gov Umahi had sent his deputy to attend. A PDP man among APC Governors? Something was definitely cooking.

    “Now, the deed has been done. Gov Umahi has done what Napoleon couldn’t do. He has officially crossed from the PDP to APC. Only a man with the heart of a lion could do that,” the president’s spokesman wrote.

    Adesina also added that Umahi had always love Buhari and never hid it.

    “Umahi had always loved and respected President Muhammadu Buhari, and never hid it, though they were of different political parties. And the President reciprocated in like manner. In fact, the first State the President ever visited in the country and passed the night was Ebonyi. Umahi was PDP in the exterior, but APC at heart,” Femi Adesina noted.

    Umahi, who defected last month from the PDP to the APC, said he took the decision because the PDP marginalized the South-East zone.

    He had also noted that he believed the APC would protect the interest of the South-East zone in the 2023 presidential election.

    However, Adesina corroborated Umahi’s claims, saying the South-East must play better politics to get the ultimate office in the country.

    The president’s spokesman further wrote, “Umahi has displayed a courage of conviction. He said the South East has been let down by the PDP in the last 21 years, so it was time to switch camp. It takes the heart of a lion to change course in such a setting. Some people said it was because he wanted to run for President in 2023. And why not? The party has not come out with its zoning formula, but in a democracy, anyone can aspire for any position, as long as he can muster the needed support and momentum for victory.

    “I’ve always said it. The South-East must play better politics to get the ultimate office in the country. Sleeping and facing the same direction may not be the best option. The Orji Kalus, Hope Uzodimmas, Chris Ngiges, Dave Umahis, and many others, are now shining the light, so that their people can find the way. And so let it be.”