Group gives Ebonyi government ultimatum to speak on alleged sales of Lagos property

The Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes in Diaspora (AESID) has given the state government up to 48 hours to clear the air on the alleged sale of some property belonging to the state in Lagos State.

AESID, threatened to drag the state government to court if it fails to speak out at the end of the ultimatum regarding the true position of the said property.

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AESID had earlier issued a statement alleging purported moves to sell-off Ebonyi’s only landed property in Lagos, South-West by some persons.

The diaspora group also condemned in strong term a reported comments credited to one Ebonyi Development Association based in Lagos defending the state government over the controversial state of the said property.

In a statement signed and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday by the AESID’s President World-wide, Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu, questioned if the Lagos-based association had carried out any form of due diligence on the property located opposite the Ikeja military cantonment since its members reside and do its businesses in Lagos.

“Are they also aware that quit notices were actually issued to those doing businesses in the said premises, thus heightening the suspicion that the allegation could be very true?

“To this end, therefore, AESID is again issuing a fresh 48 hours ultimatum to the Ebonyi State government to officially react to the purported sale of Ebonyi landed property in Lagos and to furnish the masses with all the details which it is yet to do since our first release.

“Else, AESID shall be compelled to consider legal options so long as this matter is concerned,” the group said.

It also noted that attempting to gag, hound, harass, intimidate, oppress or even arrest innocent Ebonyi citizens will not in any way hinder the group and other well-meaning Ebonyians to hold the Umahi-government accountable.

AESID called on security agencies, particularly the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and its newly-posted Director in the state to act professionally and circumspectly by not allowing itself to be used as willing tools in the hands of the state government.

AESID demanded to know when the said group become the spokesmen of the Governor David Umahi-led administration to begin to react to allegations of moves to sell-off Ebonyi landed property in Lagos.

“Who or which group of persons has ever been reported as having been empowered by the so-called ‘Ebonyi Development Association’ and what has been their overall impact in adding their voices and opinions concerning issues of governance in our dear State?

“If the so-called ‘Association’ were not comprised of jobbers who have ostensibly offered themselves as willing tools in the hands of the Ebonyi state government, why did it undertake the task of image-laundering or patching for a government that boasts of multiple media and social media aides?

“Whereas we did not originally set out to even pay attention to these group, we are constrained that if these records are not put straight and the issues which had been raised some few weeks ago without any official or unofficial response of the Umahi administration is not tackled and the airs properly cleared, Ebonyi may be heading to economic doldrums and the future of our young state could remain bleak and poor.”