Alleged Involvement In Ebonyi Massacre, PDP Reacts *Gov. Umahi Reprimanded Over N50b Demand For Rebuilding

Samuel Amah, Abakaliki

The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Ebonyi state chapter has exonerated itself from the alleged involvement in the recent massacre in the communities, saying that the party has no hand in the killing of the people.

Elder Fred Udeogu, the newly appointed leader of PDP Caretaker Committee in Ebonyi, yesterday, who condemned in its entirety, the killings and destruction of property in Obeagu, Egedegede and Nkaleha communities, in the Ishielu Local Government Area and Effium community, in the Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state, regretted that the crises in the communities had not been assiduously handled by the authorities.

He chided the State Government for hurriedly coming out to announce the communities needed the sum of N5billion for rebuilding and resettlement, while according to him, the crises were still ongoing.

On the allegation by the APC that the PDP was masterminding the crises in the state, Udeogu said his party had no hand in clashes and violence bedeviling the state.

The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC in the state, Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha, had during an interview on Channels Television, accused the PDP of being behind the crises in the state.

But according to Udeogu, “Did the Commissioner for Internal Security and Border Peace, who doubles as the APC Chairman in Ebonyi State, tell you that any PDP member has been arrested with regards to the Effium crisis? Is the Chairman of the Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state a PDP member? He is an APC member, because they were all in PDP and they cross-carpeted to the APC with the governor. The member representing the Ohaukwu North State Constituency, who was recently arrested over the crisis, is he a member of the PDP? Is he not an APC member?

“And they are both the governor’s ‘sons’ and they are causing crises in their place. How does it concern the PDP in Ebonyi State? What is the business of the PDP there? What is the locus of PDP there?

“We, therefore condemn the crises in the state and the way they are being handled. You don’t rob something on the faces of people in the name of solving a problem. The government can actually solve the problems here, if it sincerely wants to solve them.

“Other governments have been in Ebonyi State before now and there has never been any crisis of this magnitude before now. Any crisis in the state has always been nipped in the bud quickly.

“When did government assess the level of damages and destructions in the area? When? Is it now that people are still killing themselves that the state government did the assessment and came up with the finding that the people needed N5billion? The governor is just putting up this amount because he needs it.”

UDEOGU SPEAKS ON FORMATION OF NEW STATE WORKING COMMITTEE, SWC

Following the resignation of the Chief Onyekachi Nwebonyi-led State Working Committe of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi State last month, the National Working Committe of the PDP has appointed Elder Fred Udeogu and nine others into the SWC of the party in the state.

The appointment letter, dated April 9, 2021, which was sighted by our Correspondent, said their appointment was for a period of 90 days (three months).

Recall that the Chief Nwebonyi-led SWC, had on March 28, 2021, announced their resignation and subsequent defection to the All Progressives Congress, saying the decision was as a result of the undemocratic practices bedevilling the PDP.

Consequently, the PDP leadership appointed a caretaker committee led by Elder Fred Udeogu to pilot the affairs of the party in the state.

But Nwebonyi and some PDP executives in the state rejected their dissolution and consequently, dragged the party to court.

But speaking on their appointment after a brief meeting with party faithful, in Abakaliki, on Sunday, Elder Udeogu said the NWC appointed them because they had been steadfast and dilligent in the affairs of the party.

He said, “We thank God that the PDP has given us this opportunity, because the appointment is extended to all the members of the State Working Committe in the Caretaker Committee. We have been holding the position wi
steadfastly and dilligently and we believe it is because of the way we have held the positions in the state, that made them to appoint us.

“We have done our best to let the people know that PDP is for Ebonyi people and the people believe in us; and with the mandate given to us, we have been able to let the people know that PDP is the party to beat come 2023”, he said.