National President of Ebonyi Youth Assembly, Comrade Chinedu Ogah has dismissed the call by an official of Campaign for Democracy (CD) that the name of Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Martin Elechi should be removed from the list of eminent Nigerians to receive this year’s National honours.
He said the call was dripping with political motives and therefore should be discountenanced by President Goodluck Jonathan. He said in a statement that Elechi had committed no offence; to deserve a deletion of his name from the honours’ list.
The South East zone chairman of CD, Mr Dede Uzor had at a news conference in Onitsha, Anambra State on Wednesday called on President Goodluck Jonathan to delete Elechi’s name from the list of eminent Nigerians chosen for National honours.
He based his call on a recent publication which alleged that the Governor and his deputy, Chief Dave Umahi had committed some financial misdeeds that deserve investigation by anti-graft agencies.
Insisting that there was no merit in Uzor’s claims, Ogah argued that the allegations being referred to were what the opposition in the state has been rehearsing in the last five years.
He said “We, the Ebonyi Youth Assembly would have supported this call if there was any truth in the allegations on which the call was anchored on”.
He continued, “We have heard this several times from the opposition in the past five years but each time these people who are making these allegations are asked to substantiate their claims they will dissolve into thin air”.
The youth leader stressed that it was ironical that the same Elechi several people and bodies including civil society groups had praised for his prudence in the management of the state’s resources was being accused by a CD official of fleecing the state.
He said “I am taken aback by this accusation because Elechi more than any other governor in this country is praised lavishly by all and sundry for his prudence and discipline in the management and application of the state’s resources”.
He stressed “this is why I believe that the call for the governor’s name to be expunged from the honours’ list is clearly political. We know it is coming from the opposition quarters “.
The Youth Assembly President described Elechi as one of the leaders who fought for the creation of Ebonyi State, and who has continued to work for the development of the state. “Elechi was honoured several years ago by the Federal Government on account of what he had done for his people and Nigeria generally”, he said.
He reiterated the need for President Jonathan to ignore the call by CD official, saying it was not sincere. He said “this advice from the CD chairman in the South East is fraught with lies and should be ignored”.
