A former House of Representatives member, Hon Linus Okorie, has berated the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Mr. Uchenna Orji, for being biased over the documentary video of the state.

Okorie, who represented Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency of the Ebonyi state made this known while reacting to the production of the documentary.

Recall that the Commissioner had documented a video of the giant developmental strides of Governor Edwin Umahi for the past six years of his administration.

He challenged the video documentary of the governor’s achievements, stating that Orji was biased in the documentary by not giving credit to the former governors; Dr. Sam Egwu and Chief Martin Elechi who, according to him, contributed immensely to the growth of the state.

He said: “The tag ‘Ebonyi Before 2015’ is deceptive and derogatory of the truth. In showcasing infrastructural improvements that have taken place post-2015, the Commissioner for Information and his team is doing a greater disservice to the entire state by ‘freezing’ our development prior to 2015 to those primitive images displayed.

“The achievements of the governor will receive greater commendation if the truth of our developmental timelines are reflected and projected than creating this unnecessary notion of ‘nothing before now’, which will only end up putting your best effort into avoidable controversy or being tagged an ‘intellectual fraud’.

“When honour is given whom it’s due, our own honor becomes greater and magnified. Hon Commissioner, you may wish to re-edit the video to present a truthful progression of our developmental history.”

The former Reps member noted: “Unfortunately, you don’t seem to understand my critique. I am not biased against the video, rather I submit that the production is biased against the contributions of prior administrations; and if you listen along with the attaching images, this will be all too clear.

“For example, the best educational achievements of the state occurred under Sam Egwu. Also the greatest rural-rural/rural-urban connect happened under Martin Elechi with his 36 unity bridges with connecting roads (don’t ask me about road quality because present key actors were also involved in that quality of construction. So, we can only accept that was the standard at that time.

“Moreover, the extent and frequency of maintenance and re-maintenance of urban roads under the present administration confirms that for the concrete road part, nothing really changed!

“Martin Elechi also has the record in social infrastructure as the international market and new secretariat (irrespective of any contrary narration) are his. He also has to his credit, the now abandoned Oferekpe and Ukawu water schemes that were supposed to change the state and improve on many health and environmental indices of the state.

“I forgot to mention too that Elechi has the record also of fiscal responsibility, budgetary implementation, due process and rule of law and respect and growth of the civil service and its procedures. And I tell you these are critical democratic and institutional ethos.

“Similarly, the Dave Umahi has to its credit the introduction of concrete roads and urban renewal, especially Abakaliki, Onueke, Ezzamgbo, Uburu and Afikpo to varying degrees. I believe that the next government will address some other thematic area of the state or even focus of the completion of abandoned projects,” he stated.

In a swift reaction the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state, Ogbuatu Simbad, said the former lawmaker has nothing to offer.

“What was the physical status of Ebonyi State prior to the present Government? To the best of my knowledge, the submission in the above video is obviously the truth about where Ebonyi State was and where we are today?

“I doubt Sir, if you have a better story to give that will prove this to be false; then make your submission that we may juxtapose.

“I strongly know this isn’t your first time of seeing this video, and you never made such biased comments, why now? Any personal reason to discredit?” he queried.

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