Enugu REC Rejects Xmas Gift

Dr Josiah Uwazuruonye, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Enugu State, has shunned Christmas gift allegedly sent from Government House. He was said to have allegedly  rejected a cow from that source in Enugu last Thursday.

Uwazuruonye confirmed the report to our correspondent that somebody sent a cow to his office and he rejected the gift.

“I was in my office when a young man said that he was from ‘protocol’ with a cow for the Christmas celebration.

“I did not bother asking him whose protocol or where he came from and I walked him out of my office but somebody later came back to tell me that the gift was not for me and it was a mistake.

“I have given the security man a query for dereliction of duty. I want to use this opportunity to warn everybody irrespective of their status to stop sending gifts to me because I will not accept them,’’ he said.

When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Dan Nwaome, confirmed that in every Christmas, government had a tradition of sending gifts to some people not only during Christmas but during Sallah celebrations.

“I do not see anything wrong in sending gift to him, but I doubt if his name was on the list of intended beneficiaries. I believe it was a mistake.

“We send gifts to religious and traditional leaders and other notable persons as mark of respect. It had always been the tradition even by previous administrations.

“I wonder why this one is different because we do not have  the intention of bribing the REC,’’ Nwaome said.