The Government of Ebonyi State has reacted to a statement credited to a group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria ( HURIWA) saying it has withdrawn support for the governor of the state, David Umahi in his quest for the 10th Senate Presidential bid.
This is contained in a statement Wednesday issued by Chooks Oko, Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Strategy.
The statement captioned”
RE: HURIWA WITHDRAWS ENDORSEMENT OF UMAHI FOR 10th SENATE PRESIDENT” reads:
Our attention has been drawn to a statement released Wednesday by a group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, and signed by its national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, in which they said they have withdrawn their earlier endorsement for the well deserved senate Presidency bid of Governor David Umahi.
If not for the sake of the good and responsible people of Ebonyi State and Ndigbo in general who continues to desire the best for the country, Nigeria, we would have considered it a waste of knowledge, time and space responding to a faceless organisation as HURIWA over such inutile discharge in some social media platforms
By that self-defeating, incongruous and unscrupulous afterthought shamelessly dished out to the public, HURIWA has totally betrayed itself as a self-serving conglomerate of persons who have sold both integrity and conscience on a platter of crumbs from its pay master’s table.
HURIWA had in its earlier release, joined respectable persons and institutions across Nigeria in their justified endorsement for Igbo Senate Presidency, in which Governor Umahi has remained the toast of the majority of the people. How could one explain the organization’s sudden turnaround if not for the sake of justifying some clandestine monetary transactions between it and some selfish, embittered Political paymasters?. We are however, not surprised because such hypocritical behaviour has remained the stock in trade of the base organization, HURIWA. We hereby, once again, urge the law enforcement agencies and other responsible authorities to urgently and thoroughly investigate the status and operations of HURIWA with the view to curtailing the spate of their public deceptions.
HURIWA may be entitled to its opinion in holding that the widely acclaimed relatively peaceful elections in Ebonyi State were characterized by violence, but it is a betrayal of their scandalous intentions in accusing the State Government of masterminding their imaginary bloodshed before, during and after the elections.
It is on record that Governor David Umahi and the All Progressives Congress’ party leadership in the State were the first to raise the alarm over certain inciting statements and actions of some politicians, mainly of the opposition, which snowballed into the the few crises witnessed during the electioneering period.
It is also on record that most of the violent attacks were targeted mainly against members of the Governor’s Party, the APC, which ordinarily shouldn’t have been so if the Governor had decided to follow fire with brimstone. Being a peace-loving leader, Governor Umahi and the APC, swallowed all the insults and provocations, shunning all temptations for retaliation, just for the continued peace of the State.
For HURIWA to allude to their perceived electoral violence in the State as reason for withdrawing their insignificant support for Governor Umahi’s senate Presidency, means that they were not on ground through the electioneering periods. In that case, their accusation can only be described as a mere hunch rooted in hearsay, acrimony, jealousy and sponsored scandal.
Moreover, Onwubiko had thought Umahi was desperate and kept making all sorts of demands, financial and material from the respected Senator-Elect which were all rebuffed. He probably thinks this is his revenge.
We use this medium to sternly warn HURIWA and its inglorious sponsors that Governor David Umahi and the State government will not take lightly this conspiracy to smear her good reputation for some obvious inordinate aggrandizement. Umahi worked, and still works, hard for everything he achieves, including fame and reputation. It is thus insulting to think he would have condescended so low as to pay money for a cheap endorsement of no value.
We further wish to inform HURIWA and its cohorts that Governor Umahi’s well deserved quest for the presidency of the 10th senate of the federal republic of Nigeria is both uncompromising and non negotiable.
Governor Umahi is well experienced in leadership, versatile in politics and excellent in performance. The Southeast people are wise enough to put forward their best.
With the avalanche of endorsements so far received from notable and respectable organizations, institutions and persons across the Southeast zone in particular, and Nigeria in general, including those in diaspora, the issue is a fait accompli. No amount of intimidation, jealousy or scandal from any quarter, not even from a furtive organization can derail the vision and mission of Igbo Senate Presidency, with Governor Umahi as torch bearer.
HURIWA and its sponsors should be rest assured that those with Umahi in the race are far greater and more potent than those with them.
