By Felix Uka, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State government has debunked the report that Governor David Umahi said that he was a member of both the Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Uchenna Orji, who addressed journalists on the issue yesterday, described the claim as unreasonable, adding that the governor was misrepresented.
He said that a person could only be a member of one political party at a time.
His words: “The state government has noted the notorious online circulations and antics of a syndicate, who is in the habit of
spreading falsehood against the government of Ebonyi State.
“In their desperate attempt to cause disaffection against the state government, they mischievously misrepresented the governor as saying: ‘I am the only governor that belongs to PDP and APC.
“This blackmail is nothing but a cheap and childish fabrication that is irritably displeasing to the sensibilities of the ordinary man.
“It is a common sense that no one party member in Nigeria can belong to another political party at a time.
“The governor never said that he belongs to APC. He is unshakably a PDP chieftain and has been a great party man, whose track-records as
historic state party chairman and currently PDP governor and leader in Ebonyi State are known and admired by people of good will.
“So his presence is everywhere because both PDP and APC know what he is doing in Ebonyi State and everybody loves him for that. And we don’t need to tell you again that after party politics the governor goes into administration.
“All those who are taking advantage of partisan politics to go and smear the name of the governor of Ebonyi State, the governor is saying that before you even go there the spirit of God will go there to say that he didn’t do it, that is just it.
“The governor only said in the course of his speech that those who are in the habit of hiding under partisan politics to peddle lies against the state government were on a frolic of their own as people of different political colouration including APC know the virtues of his administration.
“It must be noted that the governor’s style of governance is that of inclusive politics where partisan politics comes and goes but national interest and patriotism are the indispensable principles of his administration.
“The essence of this disclaimer is to put the records straight for the information and right knowledge of the members of the public.
“What the governor said was clear and that is the essence of this briefing, and to also say that we are not ignorant of the machinations of some of these elements who think they can glory in blackmail, but we are not distracted.”
Also, the commissioner reacted to the publication where Ebonyi was included as one of the states that didn’t pass its Appropriation Bill into law in 2019.
Orji pointed out that the appropriation bill which was presented to the House of Assemby on December 13, 2019, was passed into law by
Ebonyi State House of Assembly on Thursday December 19, 2019, while it was assented to by the governor on Friday 20th December 2019 by 12pm in the State Executive Council Chambers.
He therefore advised members of the public to disregard and discountenance the content of the report of the said media as
irresponsible, without foundation and mischievously concocted to mislead and misinform the unsuspecting members of the public.
He demanded for a written apology from the operators of media who published the said reports.
