The Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes in Diaspora (AESID) has condemned the statement credited to the Ebonyi State governor, Engr. David Umahi, in which he reportedly vowed to sponsor crisis in opposition parties to make room for a fight while he sips champagne in the comfort of his bedroom.
The governor was said to have made the statements during Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s state congress held recently at the party’s state secretariat in Abakaliki and yet to be refuted.
But while responding to what it considered a crisis threat comments by the governor, the AESID, in a statement signed Wednesday in Abuja by its president, Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu, urged the Inspector General of Police, Director of State Security Service (DSS) and all other federal security agencies not to take such statement for granted.
The Ebonyi association also demanded a retraction and a public apology from the governor.
“We at AESID wish to condemn in its wholeness the subtle resort to violence or any form of crisis as being preached and propagated by Governor Umahi ahead the contest by aspiring and suitably qualified individuals to succeed him in 2023.
“The threat is for want of more suiting adjectives obnoxious, vexatious, insensitive and highly provocative coming from the number one citizen of our beloved state which is adjudged to be one of the most peaceful in the country.
“We wish to observe that firstly; the said assertion is quite unfortunate coming from Governor Umahi who was allowed by his peace-loving predecessor and indeed Ebonyians in general to freely declare his intention, grab the PDP’s ticket and successfully emerge the Governor of our dear State in such a time without any threat to crisis or violence.
“It baffles common sense, profound reasoning and good conscience that the State’s Chief Security Officer could sound this awful in his desperate bid to produce his successor come 2023.
“In our keen estimation, Governor Umahi has therefore by this unguarded assertion shown himself the common enemy of the same very people he was elected to serve.
“This best explains his abhorrence for criticisms no matter how constructive and has consequently led to his constant war with the opposition elements and the media who only strive their best to hold him accountable to the people.
The association demanded “a retraction of these threats and a sincere apology within 48 hours to the peace-loving people of Ebonyi State who has already seen enough under his leadership and watch.
“We will not sit idly and watch Umahi put a State which our fore-fathers collectively fought hard to be created destroyed or put in flames via the negative, vituperative and inflammatory comments of a supposed Chief Security Officer.
“We, therefore, urge the Director of DSS in Nigeria, the Inspector General of Police and indeed, all federal security agencies never to allow these boastings of Governor Umahi who is a Chief Law enforcer go without some level of scrupulous investigations to avert whatever may be the evil that such plans to engineer crisis may bring on the people.
“We, therefore, call on them to invite and question him on the import of this dreadful assertion before his aides or supporters hide under same to unleash mayhem on innocent Ebonyians all in their bid to please his motives.
“While we urge Ebonyi people to remain calm, peaceful and also very watchful, we however implore all and sundry, particularly the Nigerian government to hold governor Umahi responsible for whatever crisis that may befell the state ahead of the 2023 general elections which is still about three years ahead.”
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