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Tag: Elechi’

  • I am not afraid of Umahi’s probe -Ex- Governor Elechi

    I am not afraid of Umahi’s probe -Ex- Governor Elechi

    Former governor of Ebonyi, Chief Martin Elechi has said he was ready for probe by his successor, Governor David Umahi, alleging that he had been under investigation since 2015.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Umahi had on Saturday in Abakaliki, threatened to probe the Elechi’s administration of 2007 – 2015, for “massive financial malpractices”.

    Umahi had stated that he had covered his predecessors ‘sins’ enough and would publish the details of the probe in newspapers and other media channels.

    He accused his former boss, who he served as deputy governor, for failing to pay past leaders, including the Minster of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, their pensions and severance allowances.

    The governor  faulted Elechi for ‘crying’ over non-payment of his pensions “when he failed to pay pensioners in the state since 2009.

    But Elechi told newsmen in Abakaliki on Thursday that the governor had been probing him and his two sons since 2015.

    “I handed over to Umahi on May.29, 2015, participated in his thanksgiving service on June 7, 2015, but received a letter of summon from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on June 9, 2015.

    “The petitions, which EFCC sources said were more than 50, were written by the present Ebonyi government through the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

    “We visited the anti-graft agency regularly since and the last time I visited there in May 2016, I was shown a later from the Attorney- General where I was accused of several financial malpractices,” he said.

    Elechi said that the petitioners’ allegations against him included his government’s involvement in the establishment of the state cement, oil and gas, rice production companies, among others.

    “I gave my own side of the story and presented copies of the same petition which the attorney-general issued me in November, 2015 over the same alleged offences.

    “It is then clear that Umahi must not be saying that he will probe me but say that he will continue from where he stopped with the probe since 2015.

    “When I rejected the car offer Umahi made to me over these issues, he denied that his government had hands in the probe and I consider this statement as a lie.

    “There is no way Umahi will not be aware of a probe instituted by the Attorney-General of his government.

    “One of my sons is currently facing a court trial instituted by Umahi’s government.

    “I am not running away from Umahi’s probe. I have survived five different probes when Gen. Yakubu Gowon’s administration was toppled, having served in the East-Central state administration.

    “I faced two judicial and three administrative boards of inquiry, was arrested three times by the police and had two suits filed against me at the Enugu High Court, all within that period.

    “All these fizzled because I was not found culpable and there was no way I would be afraid of probe presently, especially when it was ongoing,” he said.

    The former governor noted that his government earmarked N10 million monthly to offset pensions all through his administration and the public could verify from the office of the state Accountant-General.

    “The circular over the payment entitlement of past leaders was issued by the Federal Government and Onu’s own payment was supposed to be made by the Abia government, as the governor of the old Abia.

    “Umahi has the right to feel bad that I failed to support him to succeed me, but I don’t regret my actions and he should not see me as problem of his administration,” he said. (NAN)

  •  Umahi denies responsibility for Elechi’s invitation by EFCC

     Umahi denies responsibility for Elechi’s invitation by EFCC

    Ebonyi State governor David Umahi has denied the allegation he was the hand behind a number of petitions before the Economic Financial Crimes Commission against his predecessor, Chief Martin Elechi and some of his children.

    The governor also deny claim that he headed the Executive Council Committee on Inspection during Elechi’s second tenure as governor.

    The governor was reacting to a letter written to him by Elechi rejecting  a  V8 Toyota Jeep  gift he gave to him.

    The letter, which  was copied  the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, the state Chapter of the Christian Association and   the Department of State Security Service in the state, was leaked to the press.

    But speaking at an Agriculture summit organized for  clerics in  Abakaliki, Umahi said the Exco had agreed to ignore the letter but since the former governor had decided to make it public, it was necessary to put the  facts correct.

     He said, “I would not have commented on the letter of my former boss if it had not been published… We agreed in the Exco that we should ignore it, but when I started seeing it published, I felt that in a public gathering like this, we have to clear some certain issues.”

    The governor, however, explained that he was sometimes drafted to a monitoring team if there were engineering difficulties in some projects during Elechi’s tenure.

    He mentioned some of them as the Oferekpe water project and the Agba bridge, which he said his involvement helped to save the state a whopping N1.6bn.

    He emphasized that vehicles were purchased for former governors, including Elechi and former Senate President, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.

    Umahi said rejecting the car was not the best option, as Elechi had written to him shortly  after he left office  to give his wife two cars, which he  obliged.

    He also faulted where the former governor said in the letter that he never advised him.

     His words:  “How can I advise somebody who does not take advice and never changed his mind when he says something?

    “I advised him on the issue of NigerCem and the clergymen also did, which by now, Ibeto would have revived the company, but he refused.”

  • Buhari not to blame for Nigeria’s economic situation -Elechi

    Buhari not to blame for Nigeria’s economic situation -Elechi

    Immediate former governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Martin Elechi, in this brief chat with Ogochukwu Anioke, spoke on the economic situation in the country, Ebonyi State politics and other issues. Excerpts

    As a former governor and one of the founding fathers who led the fight for the creation of Ebonyi State, are you satisfied with the present development of the state? Also, the APC has accused the PDP of being the cause of the present economic situation in the country, do you agree with that assertion and as an economist, what is your advice to President Buhari-led APC government on the economic downturn?

    You know I’m not a political adviser. President Muhammadu Buhari has not asked for my advice and if you say what should be my advice to him, you are indirectly admitting that the accusation of the APC against PDP is valid. That is the implication. Let me start from the last question. APC is accusing the PDP government of being responsible for the present economic situation just as PDP in Ebonyi State is accusing PDP in Ebonyi State under the former government of being responsible for all the ills in Ebonyi State. If the rain does not fall when you expect it, it becomes Martin Elechi had some juju in his hands that affected the flow of cloud in the hemisphere. If there was an accident, it’s because Martin Elechi and Edward Nkwegu went to tribunal, court of appeal and that’s why people who should have been sleeping in their houses had to enter buses that were involved in an accident. If things are not working well it’s because the type of teachers recruited during the reign of Martin Elechi were useless. You can go on and on, multiply these allegations. I distance myself from all of them.

    For one thing, economic cycle, that’s the correct terminology; recession, down trend, the upward climb again. It is called economic cycle, it is a global phenomenon. No country can single handedly stop it from happening or solve the problem when once it has come. I was lucky my Professor in economic cycle happens to be the first President of the World Bank. He was 86 years when he was teaching us; if it were here, you would have told Martin Elechi he is too old even to teach. He explained these things and we got the grip firmly. It is a global phenomenon just as you have the rotation of the earth resulting into day and night and the sun rises in the East, setting in the West; you cannot stop that by any mathematical arrangement or permutation as the president or as a cabinet of a country. It must happen because the interdependence of different countries go beyond the abilities of those countries. There are other factors that influence the relationship between A and B outside the control of A and B. I’m talking generally, if there is a fall in oil price, it can’t be because of the government of the countries that produce the oil. It has to do with the consumption of the quantities of oil available globally. And when those changes, the pricing will also change, irrespective of what the countries do. That is my simple explanation of this cyclic movement. I will not blame any country or any government for being responsible for it. Much as there may be truth in particularities, in other words, how did you use the funds available to you in year X, how does that affect your investment in year Y? These are different issues but willy-nilly, all countries of the world are bound to face the consequences of this cyclic movement called recession, down trend and upward rise again. Buhari is not in need of an adviser and what to do, he knows what to do and I believe he has advisers.

    And am I satisfied with the state of affairs in Ebonyi State; that was your first question. In every regime, you have people who say this is the best ever and others who will say this is the worst ever. But it is for Ebonyi people to judge.

    What is your private life now? Again some people believe that South East has not been given full appointment at the federal level, I don’t know whether this is true or not but I just want to hear from you sir? Finally the fight against corruption, do you think the president is winning the fight?

    I requested that I should not be dragged into the murky waters of national politics and the turbulence that goes with it but I can see I’m losing the battle. That is as it should be but we should moderate it. My private life, yes, I have been available. I sleep here except when EFCC invites me to Abuja, then I sleep in Abuja, otherwise I have no business in Abuja. I’m here most of the time and I thank God for his mercies. I am a pensioner without pension. That is my experience and we are adjusting and we thank God. If we had been living the type of lifestyle that some of us in Nigeria engage ourselves in, in public office, maybe I wouldn’t have survived till today. I have to moderate myself.

    South East; again the issue is this, you do not judge a regime in one month, in one year. Judge a regime after the full span of that regime. We are always in a haste to condemn if what we want today does not come today, we say this government is useless. You have to wait patiently, know the plan of the key actors. One appointment may be more important than 12, 20 others. It is in the fullness of time of that regime that the judgment comes more appropriately.  So, it is too early for me to join the chorus criticizing Buhari in terms of his appointment of south easterners. Looking at the figures as they are, people may be justified in shouting saying they have not been well looked after but the right judgment will be at the end of the regime not now.

    Corruption: it is not what you exterminate in one stroke because even the definition of it is a big problem. That is the problem.  That is why Buhari should be supported in every way; why he should also be pitied if the results people expect don’t come the time they expect those results. And don’t forget, we are talking of rule of law. What he did as a military leader, military Head of State, he can’t do today; he must go by the due process of law, subject whoever is accused to fair trial and that takes a long time. These are some of the problems we are facing as we fight corruption. You, the experts, can know whether the weapon fashioned against it will succeed or not.

  • Elechi quits partisan politics

    Elechi quits partisan politics

    The immediate-past governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Martin Elechi, on Friday announced his resignation from active politics.

    Elechi, 75, made this known in his country home Echialike in Ikwo Local Government Area of the state when he briefed newsmen on his planned thanksgiving ceremony billed for Saturday.

    According to him, he has duly navigated the murky waters of the nation’s politics which makes it necessary to seek an `anchor-harbour’.

    “At my age, I should be counseling and advising the younger generation and commenting on the affairs of all political parties without wearing the tag of any of them.

    “I will not, however, condemn politicians who defect to other parties after general elections because it is a normal practice in the country and beyond with things viewed differently at such periods,” he said.

    Elechi remarked that all parties had their problems and strong points which should make relevant stakeholders concentrate on effectively influencing the polity to achieve the desired stability.

    “I will align myself with any party which helps the country achieve this objective, be it the All Progressives Congress (APC) or PDP and will not attach dividing lines on parties in the nation’s interest.

    “This is because the people are older and more important than political parties while our shared values are more important than personalised interests,” he said.

    He said that when the PDP started `decimating’ during the electoral heat of 2015, he allowed his supporters to join other political parties using the taxi driver’s theory.

    “I declared during a town hall meeting that when a taxi conveying passengers suddenly grounds, the driver will allow his passengers to seek alternative means of getting to their destinations while he remains to repair the taxi.

    “I offer no apologies to anybody over what happened during the last elections as I stuck to my convictions and would repeat all I did then if the situations present themselves again.

    “I will still stick to the principle that the party’s rules and constitution should be respected and that the president who is the leader of the party must be obeyed at all times.

    “We would remain proud of taking these stands during the election period as their flouting became the party’s doom which led to its severe polarisation.

    “The intense situation made the battle between the PDP and its former members, fiercer that the one between it and the APC, alongside other parties,” he said.

    He maintained his position that the Labour Party won the last gubernatorial election in the state, noting that Umahi’s electoral victory was characterised by unimaginable level of malpractice.

    “I refused to support him in succeeding me because he lacked the qualities of allowing opposing views to thrive and accommodating dissenting entities,” he said.

    Elechi remarked that the thanksgiving ceremony was to appreciate God for life and other blessings while thanking his former cabinet members and other allies for their unflinching support since he left office.

  • EFCC to quizz Lamido, Elechi

    EFCC to quizz Lamido, Elechi

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has invited ex-Governors Sule Lamido and Martin Elechi for questioning for alleged diversion of funds.

    Lamido is to answer questions on alleged  money laundering. The allegations against Elechi border on mismanagement of the State/Local Government Joint Account.

    Although Lamido’s invitation is dated June 9th, he is expected for quizzing on June 17th.

    Elechi, who ought to appear on June 8th, wrote through his counsel that he would be available on June 16th.

    He sent his son, Nnanna, to the EFCC to explain why he could not make it.

    A highly-placed source in EFCC gave insights into the two ex-governors’ invitation.

    The source said: “We are going to quiz Lamido on allegations relating to money laundering. The EFCC had earlier put one of his sons on trial and secured his conviction.

    “We invited three of his children over money laundering allegations too. All the transactions having to do with money laundering were allegedly traced to some companies where ex-Governnor Lamido has interest.

    “On Elechi, he will face a team of interrogators on alleged mismanagement of funds in the State/Local Government Joint Account.

    “We have had outstanding allegations against these former governors but they all pleaded immunity. Now that they are out of power, we can interact with them.”

    The EFCC in January quizzed the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Works, Cornelius Onwe; the  Accountant General, Edwin Igbele; ex-Commissioner for Finance Timothy Ogbonnaya Odaa; and ex- Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters Cele Nwali.

    They were all drilled on alleged “illegal deductions” from the Joint Account for a failed Asphalt Project in 13 Local Government Areas of the state by the Elechi administration. Funds running into billions of naira were allegedly deducted from local government accounts.

    On January 29, the ex-governor’s son, Nnanna, was also quizzed for alleged money laundering.

    When contacted, the Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said: “We have invited the two former governors for interaction.”

  • ‘Nobody can stampede Elechi out of office’

    ‘Nobody can stampede Elechi out of office’

    Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information and State Orientation Dr. Ifeanyi Ikeh has said no one can pursue Governor Martin Elechi out of office, while accusing the incoming administration of being desperate to take over power.

    Ikeh spoke yesterday at a valedictory press briefing where he debunked claims that Elechi was plotting to truncate the inauguration of the new administration.

    “It is unfortunate that some people who are looking for appointment should reduce themselves to nothing by accusing our dear governor, a man of peace, of planning to truncate the transition.

    “I want to tell the Divine Mandate Organisation that they cannot stampede the governor out of office. Elechi is still in charge and will remain in charge till afternoon of May 29. So they should allow the governor end his tenure and not be too desperate to take over.

    “If they said they are boycotting the transition, it’s at their own peril and that means the governor will remain in power”, he stated.

    The Divine Mandate Campaign Organisation of the governor-elect, Chief Dave Umahi, had accused Governor Martin Elechi of planning to truncate the inauguration of the new administration.

  • Why PDP lost to APC, by Elechi

    Why PDP lost to APC, by Elechi

    Ebonyi State Governor Martin Elechi has identified disobedience and refusal to do things right as reasons why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost in the elections.

    Elechi spoke yesterday at the Government House, Abakaliki when the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) visited him. He said disobedience to President Goodluck Jonathan and elders of the party caused the party’s failure.

    His words: “I am a stickler to doing things the way we have agreed. If you have an agreement (party’s constitution), a consensus with the highest authorities, we must respect them.

    “But because that was not done, the party started having problems.

    “The President summoned a meeting in Abuja to iron things out and ordered that primaries should not hold in Adamawa, Taraba, Ondo and Ebonyi until issues emanating from the first congress of the party in those four states were resolved, but the directive was not respected.

    “Some people who felt they were more powerful and influential than the President flouted that order.

    “Many felt aggrieved and decided to leave the party. I decided to remain in PDP and that was how we disintegrated from being the leading party into an opposition party.

    “We who obeyed the President were vilified and castigated while those who disobeyed him with impunity became angels and saints in the party and this is what I can’t understand till today.”

    The governor said he would follow the path of peace and resolve his differences with those who opposed him.

    He urged CAN to pray for the incoming government to succeed saying, “if it succeeds, we shall be better for it”.

  • N15 bond: Court vacates order against SEC, NSE, Elechi

    N15 bond: Court vacates order against SEC, NSE, Elechi

    A Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital yesterday vacated an interim order issued by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos in January this year restraining the Securities and Exchange Commission, (SEC) and the Nigerian Stock Exchange,( NSE) from releasing N15 billion  bond approved for Ebonyi State government.

    This followed the application by  counsel to the state government, Mr Fedrick Onobia urging the court to vacate the injunction.

    In the ruling on the motion filed by a member of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Odefa Obasi Odefa praying the court to restrain the state government and its agencies from accessing the bond facility, Justice Ada Onyetenu vacated the order.

    She frowned at what she described as antics of the plaintiff and the defendants in the case to defeat the course of justice and therefore struck out a motion seeking to disqualify the counsel to Ebonyi State government.

    Justice Onyetenu reserved ruling on another motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court to 6th May.

    In an interview, counsels to the plaintiff, Mr Roy Umahi and Mr Ogwudu Uche said they would challenge the ruling.

    ‘’There was a motion filed in court asking that the cousel for  the 1st -7th defendants  be disqualified in that they are parties to the bond; the subject matter of the suit,” they said.

    Ebonyi State’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Ben Igwenyi hailed the ruling of the court.

    The matter had earlier been transferred from the Federal High Court, Lagos to Abakaliki over jurisdiction.

  • No let up for Elechi’s opponents

    No let up for Elechi’s opponents

    Despite reports that some lawmakers of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly have allegedly backed out of the impeachment plot against the state governor, Chief Martins Elechi, sources say the principal architects of the “sack Elechi project”, are not relenting in their desperation to get rid of the governor at all cost.

    The fear in the camp of the governor’s opponents is that with the man still in saddle during the governorship election, it may be difficult for the PDP governorship candidate, Dave Umahi, who is also the current deputy governor to win the election.

  • 7 legislators withdraw from impeachment plot against Elechi

    7 legislators withdraw from impeachment plot against Elechi

    The ongoing impeachment proceedings of Governor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi state has hit the rocks.

    Seven out of the 15 legislators that signed the impeachment notice have backed out of the process. The seven, called themselves the Integrity Group of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.

    They were led by the Minority Leader in the House, Hon. Enyi C Enyi of All Progressives Congress (APC) and representing Ezza North West Constituency.

    Enyi who addressed a press conference in Enugu Tuesday said: “Our resolution is simply that we have unequivocally withdrawn from any further involvement in the impeachment moves against the governor of Ebonyi state, Chief Martin Elechi.”

    He said the decision of the seven of them to withdraw from the impeachment plot was informed by far reaching consultations within and outside their constituencies.

    “We were also touched by the deep political counseling from our leaders and elders, which indicated that the long term demerits of the action would surpass whatever short term merits it may present.

    “Most importantly we were alarmed at the discovery that the impeachment, if consummated, would spew deep political bad blood and dichotomy between the two political blocs in the state – Abakaliki and Afikpo,” the minority leader explained.

    Enyi said they also realized that if the impeachment was pursued to its logical end, each member of the Ebonyi state House of Assembly would wear the stigma and badge of dishonor as the lawmakers that impeached their governor and the first set of legislators to impeach a sitting governor in the South East geopolitical zone.

    He said: “Those of us in the Integrity Group are not prepared to earn any stigma that could outlive our tenures and political careers and even affect our children.”

    He disclosed that the plan to impeach the governor was hatched last year but to be delayed until recently, adding that they were of the opinion that the impeachment had become belated “and should remain dead and buried forever.”

    The Integrity Group members, however, made some plea to Governor Elechi.

    According to them: “It is time Chief Elechi gathers everybody together irrespective of party affiliation, religion, social idiosyncrasies, language, culture or zone.

    “This is a time for him for him to renew the state on the path of peace and genuine reconciliation. He should consider ordering the release of all those clamped in jail all this while as a result of the Ezza/Ezillo clash especially the 83 indigent citizens from Ezza clan.

    “The governor should unleash the climate of joy and happiness on as many people as he can,” he said.