The Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Hon. Uchenna Orji, has described as a Ponzi trap, the recent claim by a former Ebonyi State House of Assembly member, Maria Ude Nwachi, that she was being owed N80 million allowances by the House.
Orji averred that no House of Assembly member’s allowance in Ebonyi State, whether in whole or in part is close to N80m, while challenging her to declare all earnings of a House of Assembly member for four years both monthly salary and allowances.
He maintained that the tenure of every house member expires every four years and that a suspended member or public office holder is not entitled to legislative privileges.
The former lawmaker in her online post which has gone viral, claimed the PDP members were coarsing her to join PDP and leave PPA, and that her entitlements were not given her because she was suspended from the House on grounds of improper behaviour, adding that she was not allowed to go to the House of Representatives.
She further alleged that her ordeal started when she led a demonstration against EEDC, noting that she on her own did a public toilet with the sum of N10m of which according to her, some people made contributions for the toilet project she made for her people.
In his response to the allegations, Barrister Orji stated: “From all indications, the toilet is meant to be a constituency project. she alleged that she was entitled to N30m constituency project and added it as part of the N80m alleged indebtedness. She created impression that she was probably the 1st in history to be suspended untimely in the legislature…
“Hon Maria Ude Nwachi mentioned pedigree as an advantage she has over a two -time Council Chairman, two- time House of Representatives Member . I want to know what is her definition of pedigree, is it morality or experience or education.
” Again, I will hold responsible those who know her pedigree and are sharing this disgraceful allegations
“The constant emphasis that her account is zero is a dangerous invitation to treat and a goal post to a Ponzi plot. I can only say buyers be ware.
“She claimed she was frustrated out of the Federal House of Representatives election in 2019, but was elected under PPA in 2015. That is the beauty of democracy. She succeeded in telling the world that the people voted her in error in 2015 and saw her beautiful pedigree and rejected her, and perhaps if she had contested for councillorship, the decision of the people would have been the same.
“Her involving foremost national authorities shows how desperately imaginative she is in her hope to make mountain out of a molehill. In fact, if this is how cheap 419 or Ponzi scheme is then, many more would have been casualties.
” In fact, the 3rd to the last paragraph of Nwachi’s piece vividly captures the intention and mission of Hon. Maria U. Nwachi and her network of sindicates”
Orji noted that the only valid point he saw in all of Nwachi’s allegations was her threat that if people failed to come to her ‘aid’ she would be compelled to go to court of Law.
“I hope she will run quickly to court to ventilate the issues, so that the members of the public will know whether the State Chief Executive is to take responsibility when you have a problem with your family members or House members, or when you were suspended by your fellow members for misconduct or when you are rejected by your people.
“She has to run to the court before her issues are statute bared, let’s know whether the House cannot regulate its proceeding or whether gifts are as of rights or privileges or whether constituency projects are part of a House member’s allowances or whether the allegations of rigging is treated in the court of public sentiment or court of law . Let’s know why her total rejection by her people is now the Chief Executive’s making,” he added.
The commissioner also advised the embattled former assembly member to make peace with her people and leave the State Chief Executive alone in her ordeals if any.
He reiterated that the Government of Ebonyi State is above cheap blackmail.
