Ebonyi: Don’t Stiff Opposition’s Voice, Change Your Govt’s Direction, Group Tells Nwifuru

A governance and accountability group on the platform of Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID) has cautioned Governor Francis Nwifuru-led administration in Ebonyi State not to stifle the opposition but rather change the direction of his government from directionless.

The Ebonyi indigenes also declared that those who were taking time and pain to point out where the government is not getting it right in governance wish for the good and success of the administration.

The diaspora group was reacting to recent public observations made by the 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ifeanyi Odii, and the counter reactions of the Ebonyi State government to the Odii’s cautions.

In a statement on Sunday, signed by the AEISCID’s president general, Amb. Pascal Oluchukwu, he urged the media handlers of the state government and a group described as “amorphous cum dark agents (Unwuekumaenyi forum) to display wisdom and restraints” in their stomach-infrastructure-toned media reactions.

“The government’s media handlers should learn how to address issues raised against it with factual and evidence-based details without necessarily calling names or abusing individuals whose public and even private accomplishments they can never attain.

“In actual sense, we believe that those who are taking time and pain to point out where the government is not getting it right in governance wishes for the good and success of the administration. They must therefore not be regarded as hopeless, sore and bitter losers whose ideas should never count or be counted. Respected Ebonyians like the PDP candidate, Odii, popularly known as Anyichuks is an accomplished industrialist well known in Nigeria and beyond for his entrepreneurial spirit and achievements.

“Therefore, to describe such an accomplished and outstanding Ebonyian like Odii- a man who Ebonyians massively voted for, outing in quest for the number one seat in the State in the manner and tone the rather faceless urchins operating under an amorphous platform like ‘Unwuekumenyi’ did is reprehensible and condemnable,” Oluchukwu stated.

The statement also warned against embarking on projects that have no direct bearing on the lives of Ebonyi people.

According to Oluchukwu, most of the policies and programmes of the Nwifuru-led government seemed largely uncoordinated and directionless. Like the PDP carefully noted, the government merely seemed to be in a hurry to impress the rich through its profligate spendings, not only neglecting the peculiar needs, interests and welfare of the poor masses they were elected to serve. “Sadly, this is even in the midst of the very excruciating poverty and economic downturn that Nigeria is currently facing.

“We wish to finally caution that the government of Rt. Hon. Nwifuru not tow the inglorious path of stifling the voices of opposition no matter how reasonable or unreasonable they may think such views may sound. The reason is because democracy as a system of government allows for plurality of opinions and the voice of oppositions is crucial to redirecting any government in power to do things right and better for its people.

“To this end therefore, we demand an apology from the so-called amorphous ‘Unwuekumenyi’ forum on the person and personality of Anyichuks just as we call for caution against such inflammatory comments in the future. The interest of a better future for our dear State should supersede prebendal and clannish interests as this group and Spokespersons of the Ebonyi State government tried to levitatingly represent.”

Specifically, the statement added: “AEISCID has always maintained that the airport project was not on a priority list of a poverty-ridden State like ours. Moreso, having been part of the previous administration and even played crucial roles in approving funds request for the white elephant airport project.

“We expected the Nwifuru-led administration to take note of the salient points made by the group and indeed, other well-meaning Ebonyians and accordingly adjust it’s policy direction in a manner that it can positively impact the common man rather than lavishing our scare resources on the already rich, thriving and expired political stakeholders who have been ripping the State off since the return of democracy.”