By Friday Okeke
Stakeholders of the old Ohaozara zone of Ebonyi have lambasted the Minister of Works, David Umahi, accusing him of playing divisive politics in the state.
A cross section of the stakeholders who spoke at Oshiri Central school, venue of the new yam festival also accused the former governor of factionalizing the ruling APC in the state.
A prominent stakeholder from Oshiri, Ogbonnaya Akputa expressed dismay that Oshiri community never benefitted any Infrastructural project throughout Umahi’s eight years in office.
According to him: “for eight years, Umahi didn’t construct any road in Oshiri despite that two of our sons risked their lives to make him governor. It is regrettable that he drove on the bad road to the venue. The only road he built was to have access to his village. Umahi thinks he can brainwash us with empty and fake promises”.
“He also said he will construct a befitting cultural centre of the old Ohaozara at Oshiri as the oldest community in the clan in the zone. This was what he had the opportunity of doing within his eight years but he never did it because of his wickedness to the Oshiri community”.
“He said he will liaise with Governor Francis Nwifuru to construct Agbaebo/Oshiri/Ugwulangwu road which was his main campaign promise when he was running for governor but he wickedly failed to do it”.
“Umahi also promised that he will liaise with the governor to find a way to resolving the Ezeship tussle. Again, it was a complete ploy to impose a member of his APC faction as the traditional ruler of Oshiri”.
“He was disgraced in Oshiri when he called one Opu Samuel Odefa to bless the Kola nut. However, some Oshiri people rushed and snatched it from him because it was against their culture”.
“It was an abomination that we will not sit and allow him desecrate the land. Umahi came with his former political appointees to honour that show of shame”.
Akputa added that they honoured the event for the sake of Governor Francis Nwifuru and other stakeholders who were expected to attend and not because of Umahi.
“You can see the venue that it is very scanty and many of us are here because we were told that the Governor of the state and other well meaning Ebonyians would come. But you can see that the event is total failure because it is an aberration to celebrate new yam festival at back of the year”.
“Where has it ever been done. Am sure many dignitaries absconded on the basis of the timing. But you can see, Umahi and his brothers are seeking relevance and opportunity to placate the people of oshiri for his wickedness against us”, he said.
A prominent traditional ruler from the zone who spoke on the condition of anonymity said it was surprising to come and celebrate the new year festival at the end of the year, stressing that it was the reason why no traditional ruler agreed to bless the kola nut.
“No traditional ruler agreed to bless the yam which forced Umahi to bless it himself. It is a sacrilegious celebration and we count ourselves out of the consequences. Umahi should face any consequences that come out of it, the Monarch said.
In his Facebook post, a chieftain of the Labour Party, Linus Okorie queried why Umahi could be struggling to be a leader of the old Ohaozara zone after supposedly being the leader of the state.
Another Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Vitalis Igboke further accused Umahi of playing divisive party politics in the state.
“The truth is that Umahi has lost relevance, credibility and followership and he is struggling to feature himself by crook and hook”.
“The APC in OHANIVO is divided into two. Those loyal to Umahi and those loyal to Nwifuru. And the event clearly implies that umahi is playing a divisive politics”, he alleged.
