Technical Aide Bemoans Vicious Plots Against Umahi
Apostle David Nweze Umahi (FNATE, FNSE)
ABAKALIKI/Nigeria: An Aide to the Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State Lady Monica Chidinma Ada Eze, has described as unfortunate, unacceptable the gang up aimed at smearing, maligning the image and political future of her principal, and Chairman of South East Governors’ Forum.
In a statement made available to Media Houses in Abakaliki, the state capital, Lady Chidinma Ada Eze, lamented over the campaign of calumny executed with renewed sense of vigour by those she said do not mean well for the state and country.
According to her “I have observed with utmost dismay the upsurge on negative reports and write ups, even Editorial Opinions against my Principal and the award winning Governor of Ebonyi State based on the recent misunderstanding he had with some Journalists working in Ebonyi State and seems to me that most of these actions and reactions, though not justifiable are borne out of malice, envy and jealousy in a grand plot to undermine and destroy the rising star of the present political clime.”
Leadership Newspaper, one of the leading newspapers in Nigeria, in its Editorial opinion of 25th April, 2020 titled “Umahi’s Onslaught On Journalism”, made some unfounded and uncomplimentary remarks on the Governor to the effect that, “Umahi is probably trying to gag the press because what he sought to achieve by this feeble, intolerable and absurd ban is to instill fear in the journalists, whip other journalists into line to do his bidding.”
Far from it. Governor Umahi believes in press freedom and the incontrovertible role of journalists as watchdogs to ensure compliance with the social contract between government and the people. The governor is a seasoned democrat and therefore has no such in his agenda as his inputs and assistance to Journalists in the State is very visible even to the blind and so tagging the Governor with such unfavorable insinuation is both unfounded and unacceptable.
I have read the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), and the ridiculous suggestion and petition to Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) by two Lagos-based media support organizations, Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the International Press Centre (IPC) calling for the removal of the governor duly elected by the people of Ebonyi State because of the alleged attacks on journalists.
The Nigeria League of Veteran Journalists (NALVEJ) described him as the Hitler while some other funny groups stated that he is an Emperor and Nebuchadnezzar.
Most despicable of all these reactions is the one that came from people who claimed to be Ebonyians in Diaspora; the Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes in the Diaspora (AESID) asking PDP to sanction the Governor. Such reaction is saddening, emanating from people who for the past ten years or more have refused to visit their homes because if they do they would have been of much praises for the Governor having turned the once abandoned State into a construction Haven and one of the most developed States in Nigeria and the fastest growing economy in the whole of South East today.
One May Ask Why All These Attacks on Umahi?
In answer to this question, my aunt and senior colleague in the Pen business provided an answer in her recent article titled, “Why Gov. Umahi Should Never Be Nigeria’s President.”
The rationale behind these attacks on Governor Umahi may be easily fathomed; it is simply that he has distinguished himself as one of the greatest leaders of this generation and a potential leader of this country so the enemies of progress set in motion machineries for his decimation and destruction before the time. According to Lady Comfort Obi, the Publisher of the Source Magazine,
I once listened to money man, Chief Arthur Eze, lobby president Muhammudu Buhari to look no further than the Ebonyi State Governor for a Nigerian President of the Igbo extraction- if, and when the time comes. As you know, Umahi is a Buharist, even though he is a PDP governor. He never hides that.
Last Obi has only succeeded to expose this planned gangup to ridicule and destroy Umahi and if I may ask, when has it become a crime to aim for a higher position in Nigeria and when has it become a crime to be associated with President Buhari whom Umahi sees as both his political father and boss?
But Is Umahi Qualified For A Higher Position In Nigeria?
To every right thinking Nigerian who is alive to happenings in the country and who has the interest of the country at heart, the answer is in the affirmative. However, I will still rely on my aunt and senior colleague Lady Comfort Obi to build on my answer. According to this powerful Pen Pusher, “In fairness to Umahi, he has so far, done well as Ebonyi Governor. He has encouraged Agriculture, especially, in the area of rice production. Ebonyi rice ranks amongst the best in the country. I don’t know much about what he did in the area of yam production, but I proudly ask for Abakailiki yams from my yam customer. But where Umahi has definitely excelled most is in the provision of Physical Infrastructure, especially roads. Aside from Anambra State where Peter Obi excelled in the construction of roads, no other governor in the south east compares to Umahi in that area. Gradually, Umahi has bequeathed Ebonyi with quality roads. Umahi has also excelled in the area of education, granting scholarships to hundreds of Ebonyians in relevant areas of study. Thanks to him, Abakailiki, which, as the state capital looked worse than a local government headquarters, has had a complete turn- around. It looks bam.”
If all these feats do not qualify this man described as the David of Ebonyi, the wisest Governor In Nigeria according to Governor Ikepazu of Abia State, this Zik Awardee for Leadership for higher position in Nigeria, I will like to know who else will be qualified.
Today, due to the foresight of this visionary leader of our time, Ebonyi State is the only State in the entire south- south and East that has a virology centre, where the blood samples of the dreaded COVID- 19 victims are tested and possibly treated in these two regions. It is a fact that the results of those that tested positive in Imo and Abia including Bayelsa States were all done at Abakaliki.
Not satisfied with all his giant strides in Ebonyi State the innovative and wonder working Governor have concluded arrangements to construct an ultra- mordern and state of the art Hospital Complex at Alex Ekwueme which shall be a Centre of Excellence for the treatment of positive cases of Corona virus and related virus.
Gov. Umahi is a magician and your visit to Ebonyi will convince you.
Unbanning the Operations of Okada and Reabsorption of the Two Journalists
Lady Monica Ada Eze who also doubles as the Technical Assistant on Media to the Governor describes the unbanning of Okada operations in the State as timely and demonstration that Governor Umahi is truly a caring leader.
Monica Aka Ada Ebonyi highlighted that
“Ebonyi State will soon commence the distribution of palliatives to her people as over 90,000 facemasks and sanitisers have been shared to our people. Some pastors earlier arrested for violating the laws on COVID-19 by the Anti-Corona Virus team have been released.
On the two controversial Journalists, Ada Ebonyi quoted her boss as saying,
”I have directed that The SUN and Vanguard reporters be invited to join us. The unfortunate incident with the press was not intentional. But I am asking everybody to disregard what has happened. Because we are all partners in progress and let us work together. But I will advise that you, please crosscheck your information before publication. There are some certain write-ups that people are not happy about. But I have said please let everybody down tools in love and work together. I specifically asked that The SUN and Vanguard reporters be invited because as a father when you beat a child with one hand, you bring the child back with another hand. I believe strongly that if anybody wants to intentionally bring you down he can’t pull you down standing, he will certainly go down with you. And you may even rise above him. But the single way to be happy in life is to be happy with success. I want to invite the press for partnership and also ask them to also please help us build the State.” Umahi has demonstrated by this act that he is not only humane but a true Statesman.
In conjunction with my principal, I appeal to all and sundry to join hands with us to build the Ebonyi State of our dream. Monica Ada Eze submitted.
