… Accuse chairman of diverting fund
…items duly distributed- Chairman
Cold war has engulfed Muslim community in Ebonyi over the distribution of COVID-19 palliatives.
A group accused the Board Chairman of Ebonyi State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Engr. Abbass Egwu, of diverting the Palliatives meant for Muslims in the state .
Recall that Ebonyi State Coronavirus committee on palliatives had last Saturday, May 16 handed the palliatives over to the Muslim community in a bid to cushion the effect of the pandemic on the community.
Just two days after the items were given, the Community petitioned the State Government claiming that out of the two million naira cash that was given and five hundred bags of 5kg rice, Engr. Abbass only shared 700,000 and diverted 1.3milion naira.
The allegation was contained in a petition written by Ebonyi State Muslim Community (ESMUCO), and addressed to the Ebonyi State Governor, Engr. David Umahi.
The document tagged “ Criminal Diversion of Covid-19 Palliatives Given to the Muslim community/ Hausa Community of Ebonyi State by one Engr. Abbass Egwu”, was signed by Alahaji Danjuma Gambo, Sarkin, Hausa Community Ebonyi State, Alhaji Salisu Yunusa, Leader, Hausa Community Ezzamgbo and Alhaji Ibrahim Ogbonnia Amah, of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria.
They called on the state government and security operatives to investigate the distribution of the palliatives by Engr. Abbass, stressing that the Muslim pilgrim board chairman is not the leader of Muslim Community in Ebonyi State.
The petition reads: “We wish to State for the record that the said Engr. Abbass Egwu is not the leader of the Ebonyi State Muslim/ Hausa Community. He is a government appointee whose tenure in office shall expire in a couple of years, though he has been arrogating to himself the status of the leader of the Ebonyi State Muslim/ Hausa Community to which he is not and can never be.
“ On this Covid-19 Palliatives, we are aware that the Governor approved the sum of #2,000,000 ( Two million naira) only and 500 bags of 5kg rice for us, we State that the said impostor called Engr. Abbass Egwu, collected the money and bags of rice without our consent and knowledge. He, in the comfort of his home , shared the money and rice as it suits his greed.
“In all, he shared the sum of 700,000 (Seven hundred thousand naira) only and some bags of rice. He pocketed the sum One million, three hundred thousand naira. We decry this act of Sabotage on the good works of your government as well as robbing us of our legitimate entitlement from your government”.
When contacted on his mobile phone, the embattled chairman denied the allegation.
Abbass maintained that the money was judiciously shared to the eight central mosques that cut across the state.
He said the Palliatives were not shared in his house that they were distributed at the Cabinet Office, Government House Abakaliki.
Adding that apart from the central mosques, some stakeholders in the Muslim Community including Fulani leadership also benefited from the palliatives.
- The Board chairman noted that he has submitted his distribution report to the chairman of the committee , Speaker Ogbonnaya Nwifuru, to show how he transparently distributed the palliatives assigned to him.
