Umahi a deceptive politician, running to APC to cover his tracks — AESID
The Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes in the Diaspora (AESID) has knocked the Ebonyi state governor, Engr. Dave Umahi for defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a grand plot to cover his malfeasance in governance.
The governor was described as a hypocrite and ingrate to have dumped the Peoples Democratic Party upon which platform he has been in political limelight since 2003.
The association said this in its position on the eventual defection of the Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Umahi from his opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
In a press statement on Wednesday by Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu who is the President, worldwide of the association, the AESID said the defection just confirmed Umahi’s attitude of “farcical ingratitude, incredible lust for power, political inconsistency and specious hypocrisy”.
The association recalled the public vows by Governor Umahi just two years ago in which he was quoted to have said “I won’t defect to the APC with the failed leaders it has in Ebonyi state. Mr. President or any APC person has never asked me to come to APC, and they will never ask me, and there is no reason for me to leave my Party, PDP.”
The AESID then asked “what has now changed to warrant Governor Umahi desperately seeking to join the party he once condemned and ordered attacks on its members even when there is no trouble in his own house- the PDP?”
Alleging Umahi’s many sins against Ebonyi, the association advanced reasons why the APC must not habour the governor but rather hand him over for ‘scrupulous prosecution’
It warned the APC hierarchy to take note that “Umahi who has pillaged and stolen enough of our scarce State’s resources is only seeking ‘cover’ inside the broom party. The Umahi government has operated within the last 5 years and yet counting without any iota of accountability, always maintaining a haughty disposition each time his actions and conducts especially as it relates to the state of our dear state’s finances whenever he is queried.
“From the many unaccounted agricultural loans for farmers now before the EFCC, to the many grants and donors for health and educations completely hijacked and embezzled by Umahi, the list of the smart corruption and malfeasance which the Umahi administration has become is very endless.
“A Governor who asks for a cut running into hundreds of millions of naira for even direct labour contracts must know that his room in the anti-graft agencies detention facilities is large enough to accommodate himself and his thieving cohorts.
“We reason and therefore agree with the rest of Ebonyians that the hints about his decision to run for the Presidency (which he is any case qualified) but cannot be tipped is secondary to the primary believe that he merely wants to hide his stolen wealth under the broom.
“It would therefore be a huge shame if the ruling APC government which claims to have made the fight against corruption a cardinal policy does not shove Umahi off their broom and hand him over for thorough prosecution. Ebonyians cannot wait for the days of reckoning and accountability on their common patrimony which have since been left only in the hands of Umahi and his family”.
The association, however gave kudos to those who resigned and knock to the elders and stakeholders who succumbed.
The AESID said this is a very defining moment and a period of great test of integrity for some politicians in the dear state and exhibition of downright foolishness laced with cowardice on the part of those who are still clutching to Umahi’s straws.
“We on this note which to remark and commend the over eight members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly who chose not to abandon their people and the political platforms that brought them to power despite threats, pressures and even suspensions from Umahi hirelings in the EBHA.
“On the other hand, knocks must be given to the elders and stakeholders of both parties who for a porridge of yam is jumping into the fray with Umahi even when they had known him for all the evil he has represented in our dear state”.
Warning the APC leadership, the AESID said “the APC national leadership should be aware that they are purchasing for themselves a disastrous baggage of controversies, deceits and distractions and must therefore be advised to tread cautiously with a man of insatiable greed, selfishness and lust for political power who because he is often desperate can surrender or subjugate any interest to arm-twist others”.
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