By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Ebonyi State Government of highhandedness and using the new security outfit, popularly called Ebubeagu, to witch-hunt oppositions and critics.

The PDP Publicity Secretary in Ebonyi State, Mr Silas Onu, said this in a press conference held in Enugu on Saturday on agenda of “Silencing Oppositions’ in Ebonyi by Gov. Dave Umahi led administration”.

Onu said that the present administration in Ebonyi was out to crush anyone who had criticise the government constructively even with laid down facts and figures.

He said that there was no comment made by the PDP, which the governor and his aides, would not feel insulted without looking at the merit of such communication being passed across.

According to him, this is democracy and who does not want to be criticised should resign and leave the public office.

Onu said: “A point of reference is the recent torture of Barrister Amos Ogbonna, a senior lawyer, by suspected appointees of Gov. Dave Umahi.

“They so much tortured and bruised Ogbonna merciless for some days and thank God he was not eventually killed after the PDP, media and other elders mounted pressure that he should never be killed.

“This and many examples abound, and there is recent outcry since the empowered Ebubeagu operatives have turned to continue to deal with oppositions to the governor’s party or leadership style in some communities,” he said.

The PDP publicity secretary said that at no fora would the state government give its alleged perceived opposition fair hearing or “be allowed to air their objective views on state of Ebonyi”.

Reacting, Ebonyi Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Chief Uchenna Orji, said that it has come to our knowledge that some officials of PDP in the State have resorted to dirtier intrigues in their desperate but regrettable move to run down the name of our Gov. David Umahi.

“We have it on good authority that millions of naira have been voted to these conscienceless fellows to hatch and execute unprintable atrocities and to keep social media and other media platforms busy with unthinkable fabrications against the government, with a view to attacking the hard earned reputation of our dear Governor and the testimonials of his great accomplishments.

“The general public is invited therefore to note that this latest press release of PDP Ebonyi State Chapter on alleged kidnap of one Amos Ogbonna, authored by Barr. Silas Joseph Onu, is part of the grand design by his syndicate of political howlers to cause tension in the state and incite public hatred on a government they hold in a very high esteem.

“We therefore dissociate and distance ourselves as Government from the thoughts and claims of these PDP officials, who for pecuniary and political reasons have covenanted with the opposition forces to unleash falsehood on the State Government.

“From information available, it is obvious that Amos Ogbonna was last seen with Hon. Linus Okorie and Chidiebere Egwu (Alias Hulala). We therefore demand that Security Agencies should hold them accountable on the whereabouts of their co-traveller as circumstantial evidence points compellingly on their complicity in their allegation.

“It is warned that Ebonyi State Government has records of the antecedents and the crime records of these harbingers of doom and shall do everything possible to protect the citizenry from being a prey to their ungodly plots,” Orji said.

The commissioner reaffirm the government’s commitment to the core values of its administration and the prophetic proclamation that guides it actions.

“We leave our battles in the hands of God as we are sure that the enemies of our modest achievements shall be disappointed in the evil deeds of their agents,” he added.

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