BY GODWIN OBI
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State Thursday lambasted Governor David Umahi for secretly collecting the sum of 6 billion naira for ranching programme in Ebonyi State.
During a programme on Channels Television on Wednesday night, President Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Gabar Shehu disclosed that Ebonyi among three other states in the federation accessed 24 billion naira for ranching.
The PDP regretted that Ebonyi has been lagging behind in several areas due to the lack of checks and balances in the government.
In a statement signed and made available to our reporter, the spokesperson of the party, PDP wondered what the money was meant for as it was made secret.
The statement reads, “Yesterday, during the Channels TV prime time political show – POLITICS TODAY, the Spokesperson to the Presidency – Mallam Garba Shehu, disclosed that three States and the FCT received the sum of 24 Billion for the purposes of establishing cattle ranches. He specifically, without equivocation, mentioned Ebonyi State as the only southern state to have received a quarter of the said N24Billion, being N6 Billion.
“The PDP Ebonyi State is in shock that such a large sum of money was given to the State and no one knew about it and we are now wondering if it was meant for the development of a private ranch owned by those who received the money?
“Ebonyi State holds a record as the worst State in the adherence to fiscal responsibility and compliance with the basic rules of governance which requires transparency in the handling of public trust. Just like this money received and kept a secret, Ebonyians do not know the content of many laws enacted by this government. The civil service has run without permanent secretaries and education has taken a back seat making us the State With the highest out of school children in the South-East.
“This government has continually treated our commonwealth as the Governor’s personal estate. Recent examples are the illegal and unimaginable purported gifting of the State Medical University to the Catholic Church and this revelation regarding N6 Billion given to the State for ranching. If the Presidency had not revealed it, we may never have such information.
“This is a call for investigative outreach by all Ebonyians to unearth more hidden illegal activities done by this government against Ebonyi State.
“We call on the government to immediately make full disclosure on this ranching fund given for public good. We need to ensure that cattle are no longer seen in the public and in the farms of our people – this will settle the clashes that have taken lives needlessly.
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