Professor Bernard Odoh of Unizik to be dragged to court by Umahi after sack as SSG, but Odoh tells Umahi 'You can't crush me like others, as Dr Hygenus Nwokwu appointed new SSG

www.odogwublog.com reports that against the news that Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi state sacked Prof Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, a Professor in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka as the Secretary to the Ebonyi State Government , Prof Odoh was said to have resigned his appointment. 

 Odoh claimed that he was not provided a conducive atmosphere to air his views on sensitive government policies while he was in office. He stated this in a letter of his resignation on Sunday evening.According to him: “My appointment as the secretary to the State government is hereby resigned in good faith. I have handed over the status of the affair of Cabinet office to the most senior staff of cabinet office, barrister Ogbonnaya Otta in line with best practices of service.
“In conclusion, I am fully aware of the consequence of my action knowing full well that you will go after me, my immediate family, friends and those who served with me in line with your principles of “crushing and grinding,” whoever that differ with your ideologies and aspirations as has been demonstrated in recent times, but be assured that the will of God would always prevail in all situation and circumstance. What is ahead of us is more important than what is behind us.”
“The way our administration has been run in the past two years has not offered conducive atmosphere for members of Executive Council and myself inclusive to sincerely air contrary views on matters in EXCO were instantly perceived as not supporting the administration. Because of this, majority of council members resorted to praise singing and dramatization of council procedures in order to guarantee their daily bread. Subservience doesn’t equate genuine followership.
“In my opinion, this is the highest level of hypocrisy and the values I live doesn’t allow me to operate in such deceptive atmosphere where people live opposite of what /who they are.”

Mr Odoh contested for the Senate on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance in the 2015 general election, but he lost to Obinna Ogba of the Peoples Democratic Party and probably has concluded plans to contest for the Ebonyi Central senatorial zone election seat again in 2019.

Already , Umahi has appointed Dr. Hygenus Nwokwu as Odoh's  replacement and new Ebonyi SSG and nullified the resignation by Odoh.

Announcing the sack in the government House, Abakaliki during a

massive solidarity rally by the people of Ezza Ezekuna, the most

populous clan in the state, Governor Umahi said he has invalidated the

resignation letter earlier submitted by the sacked SSG because the

letter was written on a public holiday and therefore did not hold any

valid meaning.

He said “In my capacity as the Governor of Ebonyi state, I hereby

nullify the purported letter of resignation earlier written by Prof

Odoh because he wrote the letter on a public holiday and we all know

that by law, any letter of resignation done on a public holiday does

not hold water. I also here and now announce his sack as the Secretary

to the State Government, SSG”

Umahi further lamented that despite the love he showed the former SSG

even though he was not a member of his political party, the PDP at the

time of his appointment, the young man still stabbed him at the back.

“I appointed him SSG because I felt he was a responsible Ezza man.

Many people faulted his appointment because he was not a PDP member

but an APGA senatorial candidate in 2015 general election. Since his

appointment, I have shown him love and assisted him so many ways. I

called him to my country home and told him that case of murder is a

very serious one, I asked him to see me but he switched off his phone

throughout the Easter period and the next thing I heard was his

resignation letter flying up and down in the social media”

Governor Umahi also announced the immediate appointment of Dr. Hygenus

Nwokwu as the next Secretary to the State Government and described him

as a round peg in a round hole.

Dr. Nwokwu before his appointment was the Deputy Director General of

Divine Mandate, a political platform in which Governor Umahi ran his

campaign in 2015 general election and also hails from the same Ezza

North local government area of the state with the sacked SSG.

Speaking earlier during the solidarity rally by the Ezza nation,

member representing Ikwo/Ezza South federal constituency, Laz Ogbee

said they were in government house to disassociate themselves and

entire Ezza nation from what he described as shameful action of the

former SSG.

He said his action did not reflect the character of Ezza man, adding

that he took the unilateral decision to embarrass the state government

without any recourse to his people, the Ezza nation in whose trust he

held the position of Secretary to the State Government.

Mr. Anayo Edwin Nwonu representing Ezza North/Ishielu federal

constituency described the action of the former SSG as embarrassment

to the image of Ezza nation and called on the governor to disregard

the action as the entire Ezza nation will give him massive support in

2019 governorship election.

Others who spoke during the rally included the Chairmen of Ezza South

and Ezza North local government areas, Sunday Ogodo and Mrs. Nora Alo,

Senator Paulinus Igwe Nwagu, Chief Geoffery Chukwu, Mrs. Euphemia

Nwali, the Commissioner for Water Resources, member representing Ezza

North state Constituency, Mr. Victor Chukwu and the State Secretary of

PDP, Chief Simbro Nwanyingor as well as Ezeogo Nwite Ngele among

others.

They thanked Governor Umahi for appointing many Ezza sons and

daughters into positions of trust and assured him that the people of

Ezza nation will vote massively for his re-election in 2019. 

 

But  Umahi  as predicted by Odoh on Tuesday, swore-in Dr Hyginus Nwokwu as the new Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and  vowed that after reviewing Odoh’s resignation letter, he would probe the allegations he made in the letter.

 “I will find out if he breached his oath of office through the contents of the letter and challenge him in court to prove all the allegations he made.

 “I know that no civil servant is being owed in the state for instance and we rank among the states in the south east zone that prioritise our worker’s welfare.

“People act most times without knowledge as David said in the Bible that the most painful thing about Absolom’s betrayal is that it came from a person he loved most,” he said.

The governor said that he would not be distracted by the Odoh’s action, adding that those who wanted to tow the line of betrayal were free to do so. “When I received the heaviest dose of betrayal in 2015, I had no Executive Council, House of Assembly and even SSG to say the least presently that these organs are in place.

 “I am sure to have at least five faithful followers in an EXCO of 60 and would therefore not retreat or surrender,” he said.

“Nwokwu is the deputy director of our divine mandate platform and though he was denied of choice appointments and elevations in the past, he never complained. “I did not know that he is popular such as this and this is an opportunity for all of us to work together,” he said.

Nwokwu in his reaction, said that he accepted the appointment wholeheartedly and pledged to discharge his duties with dedication.

 “A man who does not belong to a set-up is a weed, no matter how genuine he might appear. “When the weed is cleared, the soil would receive more nutrients and we should therefore not allow saboteurs to be part of our generals,” he said.

Umahi also inaugurated a 28-member committee on farmers/ herdsmen crisis in the state with the charge to permanently check clashes between both groups. The committee consists of representatives of the government, security agencies, traditional rulers, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, among others.

Photo: Odoh