BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
The Chairman, South East Governors forum who is also the Governor of Ebonyi State, David Nweze Umahi has advised the people of the zone to uphold the heritage and attitude of support to leaders for progress of the country.
Umahi gave the advice in his address during the celebration of his 58th birthday amidst pomp and pageantry at Christian Association of Nigeria’s Ecumenical center Abakaliki recently.
The South Eastern Governors Chairman, called on the people to show traits of patriotism and keep political party ideologies/ discriminations away immediately after the pools, to facilitate dividends of democracy to the people.
He said that culture of hard and true love for the state and nation in general is the major criteria for our upliftment.
Umahi said that his joy knew no bounds because of the show of love on him by family and friends from both far and near. He pledged to ensure completion of all the projects started by his administration before leaving office.
He said, “I love the Igbo man so much. I love Nigeria so much. But the Igbo man must change his method of doing things. We have been known culturally as good, honest and hardworking people. We have to go back to those cultural values that we are known for. We are into commerce, creativity ideas, making water in the desert, all these things because of the wisdom God has given us is the cause of our hard work.
“We need to go back to loving ourselves. When I see how we ravage Abuja when there is a little contest we rush carry money and bring down ourselves, I feel so bad. I feel so bad about the number of petitions we write against ourselves. I feel so bad the way we pull down ourselves. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu is in PDP but he is here to honor me on my birthday irrespective that am in APC, that is a good example. ‘Who is more PDP than Ikpeazu in the whole South East?’ but he came.
“Political parties are vehicles to get you to your destination and if you continue with party differences and ideologies when you have reached your destination, then you are deceiving the people. I have always maintained that if we leaders invest at least 80 per cent of the resources available to us things will get better.
“Also the president, governors cannot do everything. Can you imagine Friday last week somebody was given opportunity to offload mixed concrete in the mixer but he got to one compound there and started selling it to make extra money. But when the road is not completed they will start calling the governor. So we have the duty to work together. We have the duty to support our leaders.
“This state will not be greater if we don’t go back to the culture of working hard. Culture of true love for ourselves. Sometimes when you are criticizing people you think the person will die the next day but it is not true. So, I want to thank you so much for all for celebrating me and sponsorship of our visits to motherless babies’ homes and hospitals. Thank you all for honouring me on this my 58th birthday.
“At this juncture, I assure that all the projects we started must be completed. The airport is a reality. Thank you all for the show of love.”
