The local government chairman of Oji River local government of Enugu State, Hon. Frank Udemezue has taken the projectors of Save Oji River Initiative (SORI) through a tutorial following the laters’ petition to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
In a statement released by the media department of the Council Boss, he described the petitioners as “political jobbers under the guise of activists.”
In the statement titled: “setting the records straight,” Hon Udemezue said the “political money-extortionist” group in their “ridiculous” petition to the anti graft agency should have known that he has a life aside been the council Chairman as he went on to highlight some of the laudable achievements of his administration.
The statement reads:
The attention of the Chairman of Oji-River has been drawn to the baseless and spurious allegations made by some political money-extortionist group under the aegis of Save Oji River Initiative (SORI) Group in a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and a pathetic radio outing with urban 94.5 radio on Sunday, 22nd August, 2021.
Their allegations against the Chairman of Oji-River are not only watery but extremely ridiculous and beat the comprehension of a sane mind. One begins to wonder the rationale behind some adults waking up and spewing gibberish in the media space because of the availability of cheap data.
Anyways, the natural disposition of the Chairman of Oji-River would have been to ignore the high-level of child’s play by the conspirators and their paymasters but for the fact that he holds the mandate on behalf of the good people of Oji-River, it has become expedient that the Chairman clears the air and sets the record straight.
It is important to note that “the burden of proof is on he who alleges”. Alleging that the Chairman of the Oji-River local government misappropriated public funds by donating #6,000,000 (six million naira) to the Ifemelumma rally and mandated the rally committee to disclose #3,000,000 (three million naira) is a joke taken too far. Before you come to the public to make such unfounded statements, you ought to be armed with evidentiary documents or records confirming your assertion, besides, the three million donated to the very successful Ifemelumma rally was done on personal grounds. The donation came from Frank Udemezue and not the Chairman of Oji-River Local Government Area, unless your opinion is such that the Chairman should not have a life outside his public roles.
Also, the political jobbers under the guise of activists should have also tendered documents (evidence) confirming the disbursement of Ten million naira or Fifteen million naira to the said ally in the Enugu State Government house if they want the public to take them seriously or show evidence where the Chairman “throws money around recklessly as Boko Haram throws bomb as they alleged”.
Part of their allegations also is that the Chairman of the local government runs the council haphazardly with monies carried about and disbursed in cash without any financial record to show income and expenditure. For the avoidance of doubt, every government just like all corporate entities have systems and mechanisms to checkmate excesses of public officers. The offices/officers with the obligation of handling/detailing financial activities of the council can be approached by the relevant authorities should a need arise for records of income and expenditure of the council. The Chairman is busy with pressing issues of the council and has no time to give financial records to a political-extortionist group.
However, we will not fail to point out that the Chairman of the council has been busy with the duty assigned to him by ndi Oji, thus, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, was able to achieve these works in the following areas:
ELECTRICITY
1.Rural Electrification project of Abor Enugu, Inyi-Village
Three phase and neutral line expanded from the existing LT line to the above community. The length stringed is about 1.8km, 12 span with 7 street lighting system.
2. Rural Electrification of Obinagu, Agolo and Awuma-Okpuno villages in Ugwuoba.
The Chairman provided 3 phase line and Neutral to these villages with the pole lineup of 45 Span.
The total length stringed is about 6km as well as compensation for economic crops that were cut down in the process of stringing the poles.
3. Rural Electrification of Agolo, Awuma-Okpuno and Obinagu villages in Ugwuoba.
CONSTRUCTIONS
1. Construction of protective wall to prevent vandalization of the council’s transmitter units.
2. On-going construction of Okpuno Health Center.
3. Construction of a culvert at Oji Urban Market
4. Installation of 8-Units speed breakers along mike 2 Oji-River Urban
ROADS
1. Grading and lateriting of Galaxy road.
2. Grading and lateriting of UPE road.
3. Grading and lateriting of Okwe-Dodo link Road.
4. Grading of Okpata Express link Road
SECURITY, WATER AND AGRICULTURE
1. Renovation of Oji River, UDI and Ezeagu Area Command Headquarter of the Nigeria Police Force.
2. Rehabilitation of water scheme of Umualum – Enugu Agu-Achi.
The water scheme is a Community Development Project (CDP) originally constructed by the Ministry of Rural Development years back.
3. Planting of Oil Palms
Planting of Over 2000 Oil Palms seedlings behind the LGA Secretariat to boost Oji Agricultural fortunes.
HUMAN CAPITAL AND EMPOWERMENT
1. Over #100million in grants have been attracted and disbursed to over 125 indigenes of Oji-River through the robust personal relationship of the Chairman and NIRSAL/CBN officials. This has been utilized for entrepreneurial and Agricultural ventures.
RENOVATIONS
1. Renovation of Oji-River Magistrate court complex.
2. Renovation of joint primary school Nkpagu/Eziachi villages Ugwuoba.
3. Attracted the renovation of Three-Class Science Block in Community Secondary School, Ugwuoba, Oji River by Chief Obum Anichebe.
4. Attracted the renovation Of Examination Hall Of Community Secondary School Ugwuoba in Oji River by Chief Emeka James Ikem (Odogwu N’Ugwu Oba).
The Dilapidated state of this hall almost attracted disqualification by WAEC board as it was unhabitable by any human, e.t.c. The Chairman is not perturbed by the detractors but is focused on delivering the promises he made to ndi Oji.
Laughably, the hatchet-men of the undercover rabble-rouser beautifully tried to drag the Enugu State Government into their bag-of-lies but as usual their exposed agenda shall fail like the falling of a pack of cards.
In the end of it all, One with God is majority.
Office of the SA (Media) to the Chairman of Oji-River.
