A group of youth corps members of Anambra State origin have accused their state governor, Peter Obi, of blatant misrepresentation in claiming to have evacuated them from various parts of Nigeria.
A group of youth corps members of Anambra State origin have accused their state governor, Peter Obi, of blatant misrepresentation in claiming to have evacuated them from various parts of Nigeria.
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In a press release distributed widely online and published in some Nigerian newspapers, the governor’s handlers claimed that “Anambra Corps members numbering about 400 have expressed gratitude to Gov. Peter Obi for evacuating them from the troubled parts of the country recently.”
The press statement added: “Speaking at the Government House yesterday, one of the corps members, Mr. Martin Odu, said that the action of the State Government made them proud among other corps members that were stranded in troubled parts of the country. He said it was a testimony to Obi’s concern for the people of the State.” The statement credited the said youth corps member, Martin Odu, with stating that “what was most remarkable was that the governor did this quietly when other governors were even running paid adverts for doing the same thing. He described Obi’s gesture as ‘a show of genuine concern.’”
But in an angry reaction, numerous of the youth corps members described Governor Obi’s claims as “shameless and wicked lies.”
“The truth is that Governor Obi abandoned us when we were facing death in the northern parts of the country where we were posted,” said one of the numerous corps members who spoke to our correspondent. “Quote me, our governor did not pay for a single corper to be rescued from the north or anywhere else,” said another.
The corps members challenged Governor Obi or his spokesmen to name the airline or bus company allegedly used by the governor to transport them to safety.
Stating that it was Governor Ikedi Ohakim of Imo who had chartered Dana Airlines to airlift them to Owerri airport, the corps members accused Obi of trying to take credit without lifting a finger to help them during their ordeal.
In its deceptive press statement, Governor Obi’s media office had claimed that Chuks Iloegbunam, the special adviser on communication, had “assured the corps members that the Government would not relent in taking care of all the segments of the people of the State, especially those in dire need.” The statement also credited Mr. Iloegbunam with telling the corp members that the governor “was sad over the development in some parts of the State but that it had strengthened his resolve to continue to preach peace for the sake of development of the country and her people.” Then the statement claimed “that Gov. Obi sent planes and ANIDS buses to troubled parts of the country to evacuate corps members who were stranded in those areas.”
“Governor Obi’s spokesmen know that they told wicked lies to exploit our misery,” said one of the corps members, reaffirming that the governor had not brought any of them home by air or bus.
One of the corps members said that the governor had ignored them three days ago when about thirty of them arrived at Government House, Awka. The source said they had made the trip in a bus arranged by the Imo State government to convey them from Owerri to Anambra. “Instead of speaking to us, Governor Obi sent an official of his government to give us N1,000 each and to ask us to go home.” He added that more than 300 corps members of Anambra origin evacuated by the Imo state government arrived the next day at Government House, Awka.
“Again, the governor did not have time to see us. And this time he did not even give any of them N1,000 for transport to their homes,” adding that it was hypocritical for the governor to be claiming to have rescued the embattled corps members.
The youth corps members who spoke to us asserted that the said Mark Odu quoted in Governor Obi’s press release does not exist. “The governor made up somebody’s name in order to hoodwink our people that he took care of our evacuation,” he said, challenging the government to show proof that the said Odu is a real person.
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