By CHARLES IWUOHA

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State on Sunday night disclosed that the State Government borrowed a sum of N800 million, to offset the payment of November salaries to civil servants in the state.

Umahi made the declaration at the Banquet Hall old Government house Abakaliki the State capital on the occasion of a special All Progressives Congress (APC) Stakeholders meeting convened to brainstorm on ways of repositioning the party in the state.

He blamed the political class for the prevailing economic downturn in the country.

“The backwardness of the state is caused by leaders. We do not tell the followers the truth. Leaders only chop and clean mouth”

“This is end times as predicted in the Bible; the situation in Nigeria is totally because of bad leadership, in November Ebonyi State Government borrowed the sum of N800 million to pay salary of November 2020.

“I want to challenge people holding political position to help the downtrodden members of the society, we must brace up, not we governors have totally done very well.”

Umahi advised leaders of the state who are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to shun acts that will lead to breakdown of law and order in the state.

“Many politicians have been defecting from one political party to the other; why is Ebonyi representative in the National Assembly casting me?” he asked.

He said that his administration cannot be distracted even in the face of provocation, emphasising that all projects embarked upon by his administration would be completed before the end of his tenure.

Umahi attributed the disagreement between him and members of the National Assembly of Ebonyi State extraction to his refusal to yield to their demands of producing the next chief executive of the state come 2023.

In a communique made available to newsmen at the end of the meeting, the APC Stalwarts in the state reiterated their resolve to back the state chief executive’s recent defection to APC.

The APC leaders cautioned members of the National Assembly of the state extraction to join the Governor Umahi in his new party (APC) to enable the State be among the progressives in the country.

In attendance during the APC Stakeholders meeting included the State Deputy Governor Kelechi Igwe, Local Government Chairman, members of the State Executive Council, Coordinators, Liaison Officers, Management Committee members and the Federal Lawmaker representing Ezza South/Ikwo Constituency in the National Assembly Comrade Chinedu Ogah, among others.