Commissioner promises to sustain fight against Ponzi schemes in Ebonyi

The Ebonyi Acting Commissioner for Human Capital Development and Monitoring, Mr Uchenna Orji, says he will sustain the fight against Ponzi schemes as he is re-assigned to the ministry.
Orji while assuming duty on Monday, said he halted the activities of Ponzi schemes in the state before leaving for the information ministry and would sustain such policy.
“The Ponzi scheme operators know there is no compromise on our stand over their operations and that Ebonyi is not a safe haven for them.
“They have known me for my non-compromising spirit and instead of diminishing, I will increase it,” he said.
The commissioner advised Ebonyi people to be wary of the Ponzi schemes’ activities as over N5 billion was lost from the state to such operators.
“Their activities amount to economic sabotage and the people should realise that government’s actions over the issue are in their interest.
“We will continue to screen and allow only the legitimate empowerment schemes to operate in the state as mechanisms have been set in motion to achieve this objective.
“Any individual or group that come to Ebonyi to execute empowerment programmes should consult with the ministry to be adequately screened and documented and this has been approved by the governor,” he said.
He said that the ministry would ensure effective private sector participation in its activities and systematically outline plans to engage development partners and multinationals among others to achieve the objective.
“We will also take advantage of the Central Bank of Nigeria activities, donor agencies among others with the state government off-setting its counterpart funding to access available interventions.
“We will enlighten multinational companies in Ebonyi and other business enterprises on the need to perform their corporate responsibilities, while naming them in the hall of fame to appreciate their contributions to the state’s development,” he said.
Orji said that the state government had spent over N6 billion on its various empowerment schemes since 2015 and the ministry would re-activate the Gov. David Umahi Empowerment Beneficiaries Association.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Orji, was re-assigned from the Human Capital Development Ministry to that of information and orientation in a cabinet reshuffle in 2019.
He was, however, re-assigned to the Human Capital Development Ministry by the governor in an acting capacity, in a minor cabinet reshuffle in December 2019.