Defection: Call Umahi to order, Ebonyi indigenes tell Buhari, APC

The Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes in the Diaspora, AESID, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to call Governor Dave Umahi to order so as to avoid crisis in the state.

The group was calling the government’s attention to alleged “accusations, threats, harassments, intimidation and open protests being orchestrated” against some elders and leaders in the state since the formal defection of the governor from the People’s Democratic Party to the ruling APC last week.

In a statement signed and made available to newsmen Sunday in Abuja by its President, Amb. Paschal Oluchukwu, also cautioned that the heads of security agencies in the state should not allow themselves or their men be used by Governor Umahi to cause mayhem in the guise of working to unravel and perhaps, prove his false alarms against eminent elders and citizens of the state.

The group, therefore, urged the security agencies in the state to exhibit the highest level of professionalism and caution in order not to be used by powerful state actors.

“As a body with the passion for growth, economic prosperity and a mandate of holding every leadership in our dear state accountable at all times, AESID once again ask the Buhari-led government, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and indeed, all heads of Security formations to not only call Umahi to order but also investigate his attempts to cover up his plots to destabilize our peaceful state with his false alarms.

“This group is sincerely outraged by the media-publicized latest accusation coming from the Chief Security Officer of the State, Engr. Umahi wherein he copiously alleged that the former Senate President, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim and the first Executive Governor of the State, Sen. Sam Egwu alongside other elders in the state were engaging cultists and some IPOB members to start killings and causing crisis in Ebonyi state in the name of fighting Ebonyi state government and the Governor.

“Knowing the pedigree and background of these men of repute especially in helping to make Engr. Umahi emerge as the governor in 2015, AESID hereby condemns this early false and unwarranted alarm raised by the Governor who even shot himself on the foot by admitting: “I am not saying that this information is true or not but I need to raise an alarm because lives will be lost.

“For it is our wisdom that Umahi having selfishly jumped out of the PDP ship to the ruling APC ostensibly without thoughtful consideration, diligence and proper consultation and now obviously scared that he must be threading on a lonely path having not convinced any of the NASS members and a majority of the PDP elders and stakeholders to join him, may now be preparing the grounds for the crises he had earlier boasted in the media last year that he would cause in our dear peaceful State through these phantom and obnoxious allegations.

“The spurious alarms being raised by the Governor should therefore be seen as a preparatory ground for perhaps, his future plans to destabilize Ebonyi state and this is why we urge the federal government and all its organs and mechanisms to call Governor Umahi to immediately order, having been lucky to have gotten the massive support of the masses twice especially through the help and assistance of the men he has publicly vowed to fight, he shouldn’t leave a legacy of violence and crises that could lead to the loss of life or the spillage the blood of any Ebonyian.”

The group said it is surprised that even as the Chief Security Officer, Umahi could make “such unsubstantiated, reckless, unfounded and unguarded statements in the media against the elders and stakeholders just to curry public empathy and obviously set up his aides in particular and unsuspecting members of the public in general against the our elders and leaders in Ebonyi.

“With the increasing wave of sacks and threats to his appointees who he presumes are loyal to these PDP elders and leaders, we are more befuddled by his pretences in the media that he is not forcing people to join him in APC.

“A man who has sacked not less than 100 aides who are all loyal to the PDP leaders and elders and dissolved boards, agencies and parastatals headed by the same elders that refused to follow him to the APC cannot therefore pretend that he is not the one fighting his elders and former leaders and thereby, stoking the embers of war in our peaceful Ebonyi state.

“AESID is also aware of the threats being faced by the former Publicity Secretary of the APC that recently defected to the PDP, Mr. Nwoba Chika Nwoba who is currently facing allegations of receiving and selling a Sienna car as gift from the Umahi government. The narrative suggests that the government tried to use the said Greek gift to bribe and therefore silence the young critic of Umahi’s administration. We ask security agencies to protect him also as he has the right to freedom not only of association but to also hold his own opinions on issues of governance.

“We wish to note that this is the most bestial politics of vindictiveness ever played in the over two decades history of our dear State wherein one man and his family is desperately anxious to control everything and everyone in the State almost including the air that humans breathe. This era, as the Holy Book recorded shall also pass and he should remember that the security of lives and property of Ebonyians is the oath he took in May 29th last year and it is yet legally binding on him till 2023 when his tenure constitutionally expires.”