Groups exonerate Ex-Lawmaker, Eni of gun-running in Ebonyi

….task his accusers to withdraw petition, tender apology

… Urges Gov. Nwifuru to call Ebonyi APC Chairman to order

Uchenna Okeh Abakaliki

A Group known as Ekoli Patriotic Front, EPF, has condemned in totality the petition written against the former council Chairman of Edda LGA, Hon. Eni Uduma Chima by impersonators under the guise of Ekoli Edda Band of Hope Union.

The leadership of Ekoli Patriotic Front made this known in an eight paragraphs communique signed by the President and secretary general, Chief Agwu Chima Onyike, Mr. Okoro Ekuma Anya, and issued to newsmen yesterday by the National Public Relations Officer, Ogbuagu Okwara in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State.

The group tasked the writers of the said petition, tittled; ‘Urgent Security update” to tender an unreserved apology to the former House of Assembly member, Hon. Barr. Eni Uduma Chima, adding that the said petition, is a tissue of fresh lies, concocted to create an impression that there is fresh tension or brewing crisis in their Ekoli Edda community.

They further blasted those hiding on the cover of Ekoli Band of Hope Union and to instigate false security alarms against Eni Uduma Chima, noting that: “The petition is yet another patently false conjecture by some supposedly learned Ekoli elites who live in perennial and morbid fear of the unmatched popularity and accomplishments of our illustrious son, Eni Uduma Chima, otherwise commonly hailed as “Okpata Ozua Oha”.

The communique reads in part: “For all intents and purposes, the so-called petition, signed by one Samuel Kalu Ama MBA, supposedly the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Ekoli Band of Hope Union, EBHU and his Assistant Secretary, a certain Okechukwu Oke Azu and copied to the security agencies and some offices of government in Ebonyi State is one of the worst false alarms raised by characters who always cheaply avail themselves to be used by their political paymasters led by the State APC Chairman, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha to always stoke fear, tension and anxiety in our peaceful and peace-loving Ekoli community.

It said, “The very poorly punctuated petition strangely had alleged that, “He (Eni) was sighted today with this group of boys with weapons in the remote part of Mogborokuma, Azuofor, Ogba Agu, and Ndi Ibom. Villagers to and from farms who saw those boys entering the community with weapons have been expressing fears of attack and impending crises.

The petitioners who further alleged that the “same unknown and strange faces were sighted also with weapons in group at various locations in the community at odd hours. While Eni Uduma Chima’s mission with these boys is yet unknown, we want to appeal to the relevant persons or groups mentioned above to call him to order.

“We wish to correctly state that it is only for the fear of Eni Uduma Chima who has always risen above their disgusting hatred and low profiles that these fresh petitions are being made. We do not need to consult the gods to affirm that the contents are false and fabricated in it’s entire, concocted purposely to achieve the other hidden agenda they may be plotting and desperately hatching.

The group further said, “To the end of the above bold and audacious assertion therefore, our dear son, Eni does not need any security guard or group and has never used any to visit and traverse the length and breadth of our community including faraway farm lands and settlements. Even the Police Orderlies attached to him are hardly seen moving with him once he enters Ekoli which of course, he does every other weekend, not for political reasons but for his love of always bonding with his people at home and attending ceremonies dear to them.

They called on the petitioners to withdraw the said petition and tender an unreserved apology to Eni within 48 hours, the group also said it is “urging the Ebonyi State government under the leadership of governor, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru to intervene in the brewing crises always being instigated by this imposed CTC of Ekoli Band of Hope Union and their paymasters.”

“Particularly, we plead that he should call the State’s Party Chairman, Stanley Okoro Emegha and his goons to order. Already, they have given our community enough negative publicity all because of their uncommon hatred and fear for one man; Eni Uduma Chima who like an ant, keeps marching slowly but progressively towards his own political goals and visions all for our community’s good and interest, the group cautioned.

In a related development, the leadership of the Ekoli Edda Band of Hope Union, in a statement signed by the secretary general, the financial secretary, and the provost; Prof. I.I Ekpe, Sir, Orji Ekuma and Ndubuisi Arua made available to newsmen in Abakaliki, disassociated themselves from the said frivolous petition.

According to them: “This is to inform the general public that all the documents/ correspondences released to the public by Samuel Kalu Ama Mba and or Okechukwu Oko Eze, some of which are signed and others unsigned are mere abuse of letterhead papers of Ekoli Edda band of hope union by Samuel Kalu (chairman of the caretaker committee of Ekoli Edda band of hope union) who is desperate to tarnish the good image and the political goodwill of Eni Uduma”:they stated.

Also in a swift reaction personally signed by him, the former lawmaker, Eni Uduma, who represented Afikpo South West Constituency in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, said :”I’m aware of the campaign of calumny and criminal defamation against my person as organized by Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha and his boy, Kalu Ama Mba.

“It is laughable how paranoid this political group has become and shocking on how within 6 months, they have used more Ekoli Band of Hope Union letter-headed paper than Chief Ette Eni Oji used in his 32 years reign as the President General of Ekoli Band of Hope Union” he stated.

In a reaction however, the State chairman of the All Progressives Congress APC, Stanley Okoro Emegha insisted that time shall come when Eni will answer questions on the arms he has allegedly been stockpiling in the community with which he alleged he plans to unleash against the community for rejecting him.

He described Eni as a local champion that is interested in local politics when he should be thinking on what to do to develop the area.