Somtochukwu

A governance and accountability group, Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes in Diaspora, AESID, has criticised Governor David Umahi for allegedly donating no fewer than 300 25kg bags of branded rice to a serving Federal Director as Christmas largess.

DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the said bags of rice which was meant to be delivered to a serving Federal Director was mistakenly delivered to Human Rights Radio, Abuja.

In a viral video, a distressed driver who reportedly conveyed the said rice from the Ebonyi State capital, Abakaliki, to Abuja was seen lamenting over non-payment of his money because he delivered the rice to a wrong address.

The boss of the Radio station popularly known as Berekete family, Ahmed Musa, was also seen in the video footage paying the driver N50,000 as his delivery money as well as donating to the driver 10 bags of the rice he delivered.

Ordinary President, as he is fondly called, lambasted the state government for giving out the branded 25kg rice to just one rich individual when poor civil servants in the state were living in abject poverty.

Issuing a statement on Monday in Abuja, the AESID President, Ambassador Pascal Oluchukwu, described the incident as one of the, “uncommon but shameful Father Christmas behaviour of Ebonyi State Governor, Engr. David Umahi and his aides”.

The group said the governor’s action has betrayed every logic of compassion, adding: “How Ebonyi State government would give out less than 5kg bags of rice per two civil servants in some cases and one bag of the same less than 5kg in others to it’s workers but send a massive 300 bags of rice to just a single Director in the Federal Civil service who ordinarily can afford what to eat this yuletide.

“We also recall that the same Governor Umahi promised civil servants N10, 000 each as their Christmas bonus- a pledge, we reliably gathered is yet to be redeemed as at the time of making this Press release. Yet, the greedy and over-ambitious Umahi is expending our very limited resources on those who may not have need for it just to curry the favour of the northern oligarchs in his new defection enterprise.

“This despicable outing proves our claims right that Governor Umahi definitely orchestrated the abject poverty that is now the order of the day in our dear State. Governor Umahi has no human feelings at all and does not feel any bit the pains and agonies of Ebonyi people.

“We condemn this shameful looting and wastage of Ebonyi’s scarce resources by a man who claims to be a father but has preferred to focus his attention on mere frivolities while using multiple decorative flyovers to deceive some gullible Nigerians. Our people are truly suffering deprivation under the Umahi regime that is battling to convince the world that Ebonyi has become an Eldorado because of his numerous deceptive cosmetic projects.”

The group, therefore, called on the state government to speak up and tender an unreserved apology to Ebonyi people within 48 hours, adding that silence won’t be golden any longer.

“Finally, we demand more humane approach to governance issues by the Umahi-led administration that has already caused our dear people so much penury. Enough, we believe, should really be enough,” the statement stressed.

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