R-L: Governor David Umahi being congratulated on his electoral victory at the Supreme Court by his Ondo State counterpart and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, shortly before the PDP Govs Forum meeting in Abuja …on Wednesday night. Photo: EBSG
Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum on Wednesday night hailed the validation of Engr. David Umahi and Chief Nyesom Wike as the governors of Ebonyi and Rivers States.
The Supreme Court had earlier that day given final victory to the two governors thereby sealing the hopes of Edward Nkwegu of the Labour Party in Ebonyi State and Daukoru Peterside of the APC in Rivers State to become governors.
The PDP governors said after their caucus meeting in Abuja that the two judgements by the Supreme Court amounted to victory for democracy. They therefore commended Umahi and Wike, saying that with their legal battles over, they would be better positioned to deliver democracy dividends to their people.
Ondo State Governor and Chairman of the forum, Olusegun Mimiko read a communiqué issued after the meeting, said a statement by Umahi’s Chief Press Secretary, Emma Anya on Thursday. Governor Umahi also welcomed the apex court’s judgement as the handiwork of God.
He said ‘it is God that is at work. God gave us a divine mandate and He has through the Supreme court made the path smooth for us to actualize the mandate; the mandate of providing the dividends of democracy to our people and making our dear state one of the best in this country.’
Similarly, the Ebonyi State Stakeholders have expressed their satisfaction with the way Governor Umahi has been running the state, saying they have confidence that he would turn the fortune of the state around with an improved Internally Generated Revenue.
The vote of confidence followed a motion moved by a former member of the House of Representatives, Chief Innocent Ugochima and supported by Senator Sylvester Ngele during a town hall meeting between the governor and the stakeholders at the Akanu Ibiam International Conference Centre, Abakaliki on Tuesday.
Ugochima, who highlighted some of the key achievements of Umahi within the past seven months, called for the passage of a vote of confidence on the governor.
Earlier in his address, the governor explained that the town hall meeting was called to enable the government and the stakeholders brain storm on how to improve on the IGR of the state.
The governor, who presented a new revenue proposal at the meeting said “if we have to develop Ebonyi State, without IGR it will be very difficult to move forward.”He noted that in view of the harsh economic situation in the country, no state could survive without IGR.
He appealed for the understanding of the stakeholders to enable the government succeed.
Umahi also disclosed that he had directed the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Bernard Odoh, to invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the ICPC, to probe the activities of his administration and the immediate past government in the state.
He explained that he took the decision against the backdrop an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari by some members of the factional All Progressives Congress under the aegis of Ebonyi State APC Elders/Stakeholders Forum last week.
The forum had in the letter faulted a working visit by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and also claimed among others that the Umahi administration spent N350 million to rehabilate the Governor’s Lodge, which according to it was built by Ex-Governor Sam Egwu with a N100 million.
The governor also said at the event added had t handed over the case of the CALIFCO Power Plant to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, following the failure of the contractor to buy back the dilapidated power plant, with which the state had been defrauded by some officials of the past administration.
He announced that government would soon revisit the case of plots of land illegally acquired by the members of the State Executive Council in the past administration.
The governor who hinted that a bill would be sent to the State House of Assembly to cut down the salaries of Public Officers in the state; assured that the state of the economy notwithstanding, his administration would not down size its workforce nor reduce the salaries of workers.
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