By Emma Njoku
The Executive Chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area (LGA), Enugu State, Barr Walter Ozioko, has dismissed claims that he returned N100 million Paris Club Funds to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as ignominious and blatant lies spewed out from the pit of hell.
Barr Ozioko, in a stern statement, described the allegation as a calculated attempt by enemies of the progress he recorded in Nsukka local government to tarnish his image and score cheap political points.
He said: “My attention has been drawn to a fake publication by some mischief makers, falsely claiming that the indefatigable award-winning Mayor of Nsukka LGA, returned N100 million, being part of an imaginary Paris Club Funds to the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
“These mischief makers, having seen no angle from which to attack Barr Ozioko and his boss, Governor Ugwuanyi, both of whom are workaholic, performing personalities, resorted to concocting cheap, fictitious and unverifiable lies against men who are changing the narratives of administration on all fronts.
“Led by one hireling and his pseudonymous cohorts, these agents of the devil have chosen to toe the part of ignominy, spewing blatant lies that could only have come from hell. Hoping to latch unto President Muhammadu Buhari’s outburst, wherein he accused some governors of complicity in the misappropriation of Paris Funds, these minions resorted to calling Barr Ozioko and his boss names, two men who are the best things that happened to Nsukka LGA and Enugu State, respectively.”
He continued: “To put the records straight, may it be known that at no time did the state government or any tier of government for that matter, demand that money be remitted or returned to it; neither was there a time Nsukka LGA remitted or returned any amount of money, not even a farthing, to any tier of government.
“It is on verifiable record that Ugwuanyi remains one of the few governors who, most transparently, managed the Paris Funds and the activities, projects and interventions of the people’s Mayor, so far. A cursory look at the quantum of impactful projects undertaken by Barr Ozioko’s administration in Nsukka LGA, within barely nine months in office, will reveal a focussed, determined and diligent administration that has no time for distractions.
“For someone to contemplate that a responsible and responsive government such as Barr Ozioko’s, which is spending huge resources on life-changing projects for its people, will have spare funds to give away, amidst dearth of funds characteristic of Nsukka LGA, is the height of falsehood. No degree of tantrums thrown by disgruntled elements will cause the Mayor to lose focus. His performances, so far, have attracted awards of excellence from far and near, including the prestigious Local Government Merit Award (LOGMA) conferred on him in Abuja, an award which he became one of the few chairmen out of the 774 LGAs in Nigeria to clinch.
“The general public is, hereby, urged to disregard the merchants of lies, whose stock in trade is to create unnecessary distractions to a government that is determined to deliver democracy dividends to its people.”