Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has reinstated his vow to recover unexecuted road contract money allegedly paid to the member representing Ikwo North State Constituency in the Ebonyi House of Assembly, Hon. Humphrey Nwuruku.
Special Assistant on Media and Strategy to Governor Umahi, Chooks Oko, made this known to newsmen Wednesday.
Governor Umahi, according to a statement by Oko, made the vow at Onuebonyi Echara, headquarters of Ikwo Local Government Area during a town hall meeting with stakeholders of Ikwo clan.
The meeting was held to drum support for the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate for the March 18 polls in the state, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, and other candidates of the party.
The Governor maintained that Nwuruku, who is also seeking return to the State Assembly, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, “ate” the money released to him by the State Government in lieu of a road drainage contract in his area, which he never executed properly.
The release, however, did not disclose the amount to be refunded by the legislator.
The Governor, while urging Ikwo people not to vote for such a character, insisted that Nwuruku must be held to refund the money to government coffers.
He said: “I want to assure you that I will complete the ring road before I leave office, and Ikwo people have a solid road in it.
“The construction of your road, Enyibichiri-Nwida Road, has been stalled by Humphrey Nwuruku.
“You people should not vote for him.
“I gave him the drainage contract on that road, and he ate the money.
“I examined what he did on the road, and I insisted he must refund that money, and he must refund it.”
Governor Umahi urged the people of Ikwo clan to vote Nwifuru and other candidates of APC during the elections, admonishing that it pays better to align with the party at the centre.
He said: :Do not be afraid.
“I will be looking into your affairs from Abuja.
“I assure you, there will be no affliction under Nwifuru as Governor.”
Welcoming the Governor to the meeting, Sunday Nwankwo, Chairman, Ikwo Local Government Area, congratulated him for winning the Ebonyi South Senatorial District election, and wished him the position of the Senate president in the Red Chambers.
Nwankwo and other stakeholders who spoke, including a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of the State, Okeagu Ogada, pledged to work to give Nwifuru and other APC candidates victory at the polls.
He said: “Ikwo people said I should use this opportunity to congratulate you on your victory in Ebonyi South Senatorial election.
“In Ikwo, we do not make noise, we know the right buttons to press, and we are assuring you that we shall return APC candidates 100 percent at the election.”
Governor Umahi also attended similar meetings in Ishielu and Ohaukwu Council areas where the stakeholders unanimously pledged their unalloyed commitment to fully deliver all APC candidates on the election.
Highlights of the meetings were mass decamping of PDP, Labour Party and All Progressive Grand Alliance supporters to the All Progressives Congress.
Among those who joined the APC at the event was the coordinator of the campaign council of the PDP governorship candidate, Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, popularly known as Anyichuks, in the council area.