The Ebonyi state government has reacted to the allegations of a former member representing Afikpo North East constituency in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly (EBHA), Hon. Maria Ude Nwachi, that she was victimised by Governor David Umahi and is being owed allowances and entitlements to the tune of N80m.
Reacting to the allegations Sunday, the state Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Hon. Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji, said in a statement he personally signed that “Maria is a cheap blackmailer and fraudster intent on deceiving the unsuspecting public by playing to the gallery and whipping up sentiments”.
He challenged the former lawmaker to go to court if she feels she has any case, adding that she should lick her wounds of losing in the 2019 general elections, but should count the Ebonyi state government out of her self-inflicted woes.
The statement reads in part: “My office has noted as laughable the disdainful Ponzi arrangement of one Hon Maria Ude Nwachi, which she orchestrated to trend in different social media platforms; so as to attract pity with corollary pecuniary intentions. The only truth in Maria Nwachi’s claims is that she was in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly for four years only (including the period of suspension).
“Her claim of being owed N80m allowances by the House of Assembly is nothing but one of the dimensions of the Ponzi trap for gullible people as no House of Assembly member’s allowance in Ebonyi State, whether in whole or in part, is close to the amount she alleged. I challenge her to declare all earnings of a House of Assembly member for four years here, both monthly salary and allowances.
“Her involving foremost national authorities shows how desperately imaginative she is in her hope to make mountain out of a molehill. In fact, if this is how cheap 419 or Ponzi scheme is, then many more would have been casualties. The only valid point I saw in all of of this allegation is that she said if people fail to come to her ‘aid’, she would be compelled to go to court of law.”
The commissioner added: “I hope she will run quickly to court to ventilate the issues, so that the members of the public will know whether the state chief executive is to take responsibility when you have a problem with your family members or House members or when you were suspended by your fellow members for misconduct or when you are rejected by your people.
“She has to run to the court before her issues are statute bared, let’s know whether the House cannot regulate its proceeding or whether gifts are as of rights or privileges or whether constituency projects are part of a House member’s allowances or whether the allegations of rigging is treated in the court of public sentiment or court of law. Let’s know why her total rejection by her people is now the chief executive’s making.
“I will only advise Hon. Maria Ude Nwachi to toe the part of honour and seek the face of her people and identify those things they saw and rejected her; so as to make corrections before it’s too late. She should leave the state chief executive alone in her ordeals; if any. The government of Ebonyi state is above this cheap blackmail.”
