The Ebonyi State government has reacted to a report(Not by The PUNCH) that Governor Dave Umahi had threatened to support the agitation for Biafra if the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), allowed a Federal High Court judgment sacking him and his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, to stand.
The report also claimed that Umahi was prevented from entering the Ebonyi State Government House by the Nigerian Army on Wednesday.
Special Assistant to the Governor, Francis Nwaze, in a statement on Thursday, described the report as fake news.
He said an appeal had been filed which laid to rest the sacking of the Governor and his deputy at least until the motion on notice is exhaustively determined.
This is as he wondered why a report would state that his principal was prevented by the army from entering the Government House.
The statement read, “We have come across fake news published online by a faceless blogger in which the bloody savage alleged that His Excellency the Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Umahi, FNSE, FNATE was on Wednesday prevented from gaining entry into the Government House by the Nigerian Army following the pronouncement of the Federal High Court.
“The fugitive poster also alleged that Governor Umahi threatened to support Biafra agitations if President Muhammadu Buhari allows the Court to remove him.
“Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have bothered responding to the passing parade but it has become expedient we do so to save our teeming supporters from unnecessary panic owing to the senseless propaganda.
“First, no such incident happened today as alleged by the poster who is glaringly acting the script of the haters of good governance and nothing would have warranted such development in the first place.
“It is worthy to note that following the pronouncement of the Federal High Court in Abuja which His Excellency has duly vacated through an exparte order, Appeals have also been filed at Courts of Appeal in Enugu and Abuja.
“With this, all issues of the sack of the Governor and his Deputy have been laid to rest at least until the motion on notice is exhaustively determined, which means that there couldn’t have been any basis for the faceless poster to allege that the Army stopped His Excellency from entering the Government House if not for mischief-making.
“It is also worthy of mention that His Excellency the Governor at no time threatened to support Biafra agitations if Mr President allows the Court to remove him and wouldn’t have done that knowing that due to separation of powers, the President cannot decide for the Judiciary which is a full-fledged arm of Government on its own.
“While it is obvious that all these are simply invented to distract the Governor from delivering good governance to the people, it is pertinent to underscore that His Excellency is too focused on his transformation agenda to be distracted by disgruntled elements.
“Given the foregoing, we, therefore, urge the citizens of Ebonyi State and supporters of His Excellency across Nigeria and beyond to disregard the fake news and go about their lawful businesses bearing in mind that by the grace of God their Excellencies would consolidate on their mandate in the Appellate courts.”
Umahi and his deputy were on Tuesday sacked by the Federal High Court over their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
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