.. Says Approval of N80m for Welfare Clearly Indicates that the Governor Is a Gift to Humanity
… Pleads With Ebonyians to Support Umahi To Sustain Peace In The State
The potent leadership model adopted by the Governor of Ebonyi State and Chairman, Southeast Governors Forum, Engr. Dave Umahi, in administering the state has continued to feature him especially, his giant strides on the pages of newspapers and other media platforms across the country. Commending Umahi for giving a thought to the lives of inhabitants of Umuogudu, Akpu, Ngbo and Egedege in Ohaukwu and Egedege local government areas of Ebonyi State, whose communities were plundered by bandits from neighbouring villages of Benue State, who invaded their towns in what appears to be an inter-communal crisis, Technical Assistant to the Governor on Media and Convener of DUNAETA – a political pressure group based in Ebonyi, Lady Monica Chidinma Ada Eze (aka Ada Ebonyi), has described the Governor as ‘numero uno’ in good governance. Recall that Governor, Dave Umahi, approved the sum of N40 million to the people of Umuogudu Akpu Ngbo in Ohaukwu and Egedegede Ishielu local government areas of the state to ameliorate the suffering of those who suffered varying degree of losses owing to the devastating invasion and attacks on them. The Governor who visited the communities to assess the level of damages orchestrated by the invading attackers, sympathized and commiserated with the people and assured that government will not rest on its oars in bringing perpetrators to book; “I feel so sad. When I heard of this my spirit went down so low how life no longer means much in our country again. It is so sad that people will be sleeping in their houses and others will come and kill them for what they know nothing about. “Our Security outfit is already in place. I directed a lot of them to be posted to this place, all that is remaining is for Ebubeagu to be launched at the Zonal level and to have our security gadgets there. “Everybody will be protected when we make up our minds to protect ourselves. I have done everything possible for Agila people to live peacefully with us even when I was the Deputy Governor, every time they will be the one to attack us,” he said. Lady Monica said the Governor also directed the formation of a vigilante group in Egedegede in Ishielu Local Government Area which recently recorded a bloody attack perpetrated by herdsmen and also approved the sum of N20m to the community as a consolation to families of victims of the dastardly attack. He charged Council Chairmen to enforce the ban on open grazing, noting that the practice is no longer allowed in the whole of the South East region. He also announced the donation of the sum of 20million naira to the Community to assist families of those who lost their lives in the incident and maintained that the Government would not fold its hands and watch the citizens being killed wantonly by bandits. “We have a law in South-East and in Ebonyi State in particular that there will not be movement of cattle from one point to the other.
I am going to support you to immediately form a formidable vigilante and I want it to be people-oriented. “If anybody is trying to destroy our crops, you must stop him with a proportionate means upon which he is trying to destroy the crops. If somebody is killing cows of herdsmen you must stop him with a proportionate means upon which he is killing the cows and no herdsmen with AK-47 is allowed in the land of Ebonyi. “Mr. President has said it and I am saying it also, such people must be demobilized by all means, you can’t carry AK-47 to our land, it is an affront. If is an insult and it is not allowed, we must stop them, enough is enough,” the Governor reiterated. In a statement made available to media houses in Abakaliki the state capital, TA Monica said the Governor’s approach to the affected communities was sympathetic and a sheer display of compassion and sensitivity to the plights of citizens. She called on the good people of Effium and Ezza Effium to heed the Governor’s call for a truce and embrace peace in order to attract the necessary assistance from government to enable them resettle on their communities. The Governor had informed the natives when he visited the communities that their leaders have resolved to reach a truce and appealed to them to recall their warriors from the bushes. Excerpts from the Governor’s statement reads, “we came to inform our fathers and mothers that we have discussed with your leaders in Abakaliki and they have agreed that there will be peace in Effium and they have agreed to recall your warriors from the bushes. “So we appeal to you to embrace peace, we have relief materials for you but we can not give you if the war persists, if you embrace peace, we will come and assist you and the Federal Government will also come and assist you.” Monica reminded the people that no meaningful development can take place in an atmosphere of crisis, stressing that the administration of Gov. Umahi, is willing and committed to spreading development evenly across all the local government areas of the state. Furthermore, she called on the people to continue to support the administration of Gov. Umahi, assuring that the APC-led state government will continue to place the interest of the people of Ebonyi first in all policies and programs
