Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi state has said that he will have no dealings with any Igbo socio-cultural group that would castigate President Muhammadu Buhari, state governors and other leaders.
Umahi made the declaration in Abakaliki when a delegation of the Igbo Leaders of Thought, a socio-cultural group visited him, stressing that he would ‘switch-off his microphone’ on any group that makes such castigation.
The governor said that he was not hiding his words as he had told any of his appointees who castigate President Buhari or governors, to leave his cabinet.
“I have continued to say this and not ashamed to do so because we have been terribly maginalised.
“They said in the past that our poverty index was the highest in the country so what will this castigation of other governors and leaders help us to achieve.
He announced that the ‘Nzuko Umunna’ socio-cultural group said it would be holding its retreat in the state in the third week of October and the government has accepted to host it.
“We have maintained that one cannot confront leadership as the bible says you should pray for those in authority because they bear not the arms in vain.
“I believe in dialogue as if you are a good leader, it is for a time and if you are bad one, it is also for a time.
“Leaders are made by God alone and until the purpose upon which he brought that leader if fulfilled, he will bring another one that is either very good or bad like the other one.
Umahi said that such visits afforded the socio-cultural groups, the opportunity of interacting with leaders especially the governors to ascertain what they are doing and avoid unnecessary criticisms.
“After telling the Nzuko Umanna what the governors were doing which would not be revealed publicly, they agreed that they have been criticising us unknowingly.
“It is the duty of governors to render account to the people of what they were doing and such would be not done on the pages of newspapers.
He commended the group for paying tribute to the Ohaneze Ndigbo socio- cutural group, the ‘apex group’ and called on all the groups to shun unnecessary competition but work in unison for the interest of the Igbo people.
Deputy Chairman of the Igbo Leaders of Thought, Prof. Chinweite Ejike, thanked Umahi for receiving them, announcing that the governor was a student of the defunct Anambra State University of Science and Technology (ASUTECH) Enugu, in the late eighties when he was its Vice Chancellor.
“This is an opportunity for us to interact with you; learn of your policies and programmes, inform you of our observations for the necessary constructive deliberations.
“I am representing our Chairman, Prof. Ben Nwabueze and wishes to inform you that the group has a composite nature of equitable representation from the five states of the south east geo political zone.
“It is accepted that Ohaneze Ndigbo is the apex socio cultural group in the zone but our group has made undisputed efforts to contribute to the multi-faceted struggle for the upliftment of the Igbos,” he said.
The group inspected some projects of the government across the state.
