UMUAHIA—Some organizations in Abia State have tackled a group called Save Abia Initiative for Change, SAIC, for allegedly sending a petition against the immediate governor of the state, Governor Theodore Orji and some members of his family, alleging embezzlement of N474 billion.
They accused the group of being used by politicians, who want to settle scores with the former governor and urged the group not to allow itself to be used by people.
The organizations include Abia Central Senatorial Zone Stakeholders, Ibeku Youths Assembly and All Igbere Consultative Forum; they specifically accused a former governor of the state of masterminding the “purported petitions using a faceless group to smear the image and rubbish the good works of the ex-governor, who he saw as a political enemy that must be destroyed at all cost.”
In separate press releases in Umuahia, the groups condemned what they described as alleged “the former governor’s continued but unwarranted attack against Orji.”
The press statements were signed by Chief Egesi Marcus; Elvis Ngwakwe, Chijioke Kanu, David Uguru, Dr. Eme Chimezie Agbai, and Kalu Donatus, chairmen and secretaries of the various groups.
They challenged the signatories of the purported petition to make their identities public if they were genuine and are to be taken seriously.
According to them, the petition was part of the “plot and political vendetta against former Governor Orji by some aggrieved politicians.
“In as much as we are not saying that EFCC should not bring to book any public officer found wanting in the discharge of his duties, it will be wrong for faceless groups and political detractors to incite EFCC against an achiever.
“Abians know better between this former governor who should be investigated for mismanagement of public funds,” the group said.
They said that it would be uncharitable to pay former Governor Orji, “who has lifted the bar of governance in Abia and restored equity and justice in the political landscape of the state with trumped up allegations.”
The groups, therefore, cautioned Orji’s political opponents and “all those who feel embittered because of his numerous reforms and policies to stop distracting him as he does his work at the Senate.”
