Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi has accepted to undertake the education of all three surviving children of a slain Abia-based Ebonyi couple.
The victims, Mr Darlington Uzonwa and Mrs Chinyere Uzonwa, were brutally murdered in front of their children by an armed robbery gang along Secretariat Road Umuahia on January 25.
They were dispossessed of their cash before being shot by the robbers.
Their children, two of who were with their parents in the family car when the incident occurred, managed to escape the robbers’ bullets.
The deceased were last Saturday (March 7) buried in their home town of Ugwuegu Afikpo North Local Government Area in Ebonyi State.
Moved by the incident, Ebonyi Governor Umahi invited the children of the victims and their guardians to Government House Abakaliki for a meeting.
The Governor, who expressed shock and sadness over the ugly incident, condoled with the family and prayed that the surviving members of the family have the fortitude to overcome the shock.
He urged the children to allow the peace of God to comfort them.
The governor announced a donation of N3 million succour for the secondary education of the children as well as their up-keep.
Governor Umahi equally pledged that the state government would cater for the university education of the children once they were through with secondary school.
The affected children – Priscillia, 17, Solomon, 16, and Judith, 12 are in SS ll, SS l, and JS1, respectively.
Governor Umahi urged them not to despair but repose their confidence in God, assuring them that the state would not abandon them.
The Governor urged them to be guided by the fear of God and commit their future totally into God’s care “who knows how to judge” the criminals responsible for the untimely death of their parents.
Responding, the eldest child of the deceased couple, Priscillia, thanked the Governor for coming to their rescue.
She said they would be eternally grateful to the governor for the kind gesture, adding that they will not disappoint the state.
In his response, the children’s uncle, Mr Gregory Uzonwa, thanked governor Umahi, adding that the gesture would go a long way in assisting the family to overcome the trauma of the tragedy.