From Fred Itua, Abuja
Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State, have lampooned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the National Assembly, over its recent claims against Governor David Umahi.
The leaders who are serving and former members of the National Assembly, said the claims made against Ebonyi State Governor that he was using the newly-established Ebubeagu operatives to intimidate members of the opposition was false.
Leader of the group and a former senator, Julius Ucha, said stakeholders in the state, including the PDP, should be asking themselves how they could be of help to make things less damaging to the state’s corporative and social well being
“This, definitely, is not a time for political brickbats, finger pointing, blame games, acrimony or engaging in foul language. It is a time for seeking for solution and working towards collective and social harmony.
“As you are aware, Ebonyi State is not immune to the challenges, which we outlined above. We dare say that as a state and people, we are blessed with a visionary government led by a benevolent democrat that foresees the future, plans ahead and tackles challenges excellently. Governor Umahi has been up and doing in effectively delivering good governance to our dear state in the past six years.
“However, we are pained, when on Tuesday May 18, 2021, some PDP National Assembly caucus from Ebonyi, led by Senator Samuel Egwu, addressed the press and made wild, provocative and tendentious allegations against the APC led Ebonyi State Government.
“We are however shocked that they did not retract their statement knowing full well that this is a security matter that should not be trivialised or politicized, this more so against the background that the Governor’s actions were based on decisions jointly taken by all the governors of the South-East, irrespective of party affiliations, and that our governor, being the chairman of South-East Governors Forum, had to lead the implementation process. If this is not commendable and proactive leadership, we do not know what is. We therefore condemn the contents of the press conference in its entirety.
“What was most ignoble about the shameful display of political rascality by the PDP federal lawmakers, was not just the lies and felonious claims they levelled against the governor: they sought to politicize the security of lives and property of Ebonyi people. But suffice it to say that the group’s allegation that the governor recruited thugs in the name of Ebubeagu for the purpose of intimidating the opposition PDP is malicious, mendacious, puerile and trivial.
“There is no evidence to show that Ebubeagu has harassed anybody. What one would have expected is for the Ebonyi PDP caucus of the NASS was to come up with ways to support the efforts of the governor in securing the people of Ebonyi State, rather than descend into crass partisanship.”