The Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, has warned that any Local Government Area chairman who fails to recover the agriculture loan given to farmers in their area would forfeit February allocation.
Umahi gave the warning while swearing in the Caretaker Chairman of Ohaozara Local Government Area, Mark Onu, and the Vice-Chairman, Patience Aja, at the Government House, Abakaliki on Wednesday.
The governor expressed displeasure over the inability of some council chairmen who stood as sureties for farmers, but had failed to make them (farmers) repay the loans.
“Any chairman that signed surety for agric loan and has not recovered it for us will not get allocation this month,” he said in a statement on Thursday by his spokesman, Emma Anya.
He argued that since the council chiefs voluntarily stood as sureties for the farmers, they “should be the first to knock at the doors of the beneficiaries after they harvested”.
Umahi also spoke on the forthcoming council polls in the state, saying his government will fight anyone who wants to truncate democracy in the state.
The governor added: “Only credible candidates who are close to the people would be supported to vie for posts.”
According to him, all democratic tenets would be observed in the state no matter whose ox is gored.
Umahi said: “I heard that some people zoned the chairmanship candiadate positions of our party (PDP) to particular individuals in their areas and this would not happen under this administration.
“Anybody who does not succeed in this regard and wants to fight us, we are ready to fight back from day one.
“Life is all about war as the person should let us know he is ready to fight and it would not be like the one we fought in the past and God helped us to win.”
The governor remarked that the chairmanship candidates of the party would be those who would be ready to deviate from the norms of the past.
Umahi said: “Commissioners and LGA chairmen complain that if their predecessors can construct mansions, they also should be allowed to construct mansions.
“Those days are gone but they can still build the mansions by creating the avenues themselves.”
He threatened to sack any LGA caretaker committee chairman who does not honour any summon or invitation by the state House of Assembly.
He said: “I do not toy with the House of Assembly.
“If you’re a chairman of local government and the House of Assembly calls you to give account of your stewardship if they write me, I will remove you the same day.
“If you’ve been called by the House or their committees and you refuse to attend, it means you’re looking for trouble.”
Umahi to LG chiefs: Recover agric loans or forget February allocation
