Umahi, Elechi Trade Words Over Car Gift

Governor David Umahi of
Ebonyi State and his predecessor, Chief Martin Elechi seem not to be in the same line of thought following the car gift given to the later by the present administration in the state.
Reacting to the letter written to him by Chief Elechi during an Agricultural summit with Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) held at International Conference Centre, Abakiliki, Governor Umahi said it was the secretary to other government’s own choice of words to have stated in the government’s letter to the former governor that the car gift was a recognition of his role in the promotion of democracy in Ebonyi State and for other meritorious services.
The governor emphasised that the car gifts were meant for former governors and a former Senate President in which Elechi rightly belongs to the former and was never for any other reason.
“I would not have commented on the letter of my former boss to me. We agreed in the exco that we should ignore it, but when I started seeing it published in Advocate, I feel that in a public gathering we have to clear certain issues.
“Number one, it was not of the kind-heartedness of the SSG that he wrote meritorious service. No, we did not give those cars because of meritorious services.
“And the man capitalizes to say if you say I merited something why all these things happening to me and I will explain.
“Rejecting the vehicle was not the best because when he left office he wrote and I gave two new vehicles to his wife. It was not merited but I did it as a show of love.”
It would be recalled that the immediate past governor of Ebonyi State, Martin Elechi rejected a Toyota V8 SUV car gift given to him by his successor, David Umahi.
The state government with the backing of the state House of Assembly had acquired four SUVs for former governors in the state at the cost of N29 million each.
The SUV vehicles were intended for Elechi, Ex-governor, Sam Egwu. Others penciled for the car gifts were, former Governor of old Abia State and Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu and Ex-Senate president, Anyim Pius Anyim.
But Elechi in a reply to the governor rejected the jeep, stating that he was at a loss to convince himself that he fit into the category of those that the governor wished to honour.
The former governor wondered why the same government which refused to pay his entitlements and severance package would purchase such exorbitant car for him.