Ebonyi civil society groups kick against Abia Onyike's planned protest

 By Victor Nwegede

All the civil society groups including the non-governmental organisations, civil society organizations, voluntary organisations and support groups in Ebonyi State has disowned the former Commissioner of Information and State Orientation, Mr Abia Okpani Onyike as their member following his alleged utterances and planned protest against Governor David Umahi's led administration.

The state Coordinator of the groups, Comrade Collins Azu made the disclosure in a statement Wednesday in Abakaliki, the state capital.

Azu said that the attention of the coalition of the civil societies numbering over 100 groups, has been drawn to a scheduled protest at the instance of the quondam of Abia Okpani Onyike.

    Abia Onyike.

The statement read: "The protest according to the release he personally signed will involve critical non state actors -civil society organisations, media, artisans and  those on the lower rungs of life -okada and keke riders, cobblers and wrist watch menders and repairers. 

"Any  activity that pique these latter classes of people leave deaths, destruction in its wake. Is that Abia Onyike's plan to kill Ebonyians?

"Given the carnage and ethnic cleansing ongoing in Ohaukwu, Onicha and Ikwo, it is reasonable to believe  that he has a hand in what is happening in those places and no CSO in Ebonyi State will be part of any activity under any pretext that will aggravate the already tensed polity. 

"I wouldn't have abandoned my busy schedules to write this rejoinder but because I lead the largest community of humanitarian service providers, that's the Ebonyi State Forum of NGOs, CSOs, VOs and Support Groups, I have the official capacity to respond since Civil Society, which I am the Coordinator is dragged into the Abia Onyike madness. 

"German poet, Thomas Mann once said "harmful truth is better than a useful lie", Chief Abia Okpani Onyike with due respect to his mischievous life style is not a member of any Civil Society Organisation in Ebonyi State. He is at best an impostor. 

"However, though protests and other civil disobedience/ disturbances are all bye-products of bad governance but Ebonyi State is globally acknowledged for good governance -making it impossible for any right thinking human being to conceive and execute protest in Onyike's horrific proportion.

 "Ebonyi State is no more a horrendous cave for nocturnal dwellers. Why space may mar me from taking a deep dive into what underlies his planned protest, one can still recall it's not unconnected with Umahi's refusal to the former Information Commissioner to divert funds earmarked for media and publicity when he served as director of the publicity subcommittee during the 2015 general election or at his stint at the Ebonyi State Printing Press which he liquidated in few months of being there as GM. 

 "I am also to add with degree of certainty that illusionary expectations of Onyike -becoming Information Commissioner and teleguiding Dr Sam Egwu government has not been forgotten. 

 "By way of revenge, claiming to mobilise the civil space against a performing  democratically elected government by getting the people distract Umahi's social contract with his people is the only thing in his vile  machinations that will be commensurate to the fate he allegedly suffered for failing woeful in Umahi's government and being boothed out.

"But the Ebonyi Civil Society Organisations will NEVER be part of such machinations as even the #2000 I was to receive as one of the journalists that went to Echara Ikwo Primary School located in Ikwo to cover campaign programme under him has not been given to me till now by the same man calling for a protest. He can't use us again.

 "In a street language, Ebonyi Civil Society Organisations _no go take Panadol for another man's headache_. 

"As one who has seriously faded politically, apparently costing less than Two Thousand Naira (#2000) in the electoral market, I appreciate his unrelenting efforts to remain relevant in national consciousness, part of which is this letter and press statement writings such as the one under reference. 

"We have as well warned members of Ebonyi State Forum of Nongovernmental Organisations, NGOs, Civil Society Organisations, CSOs; Voluntary Organisations, VOs and Political Support Groups which I am the Coordinator to steer clear of any planned or imaginary protest link to Abia Onyike or anyone else because of our avowed principle to Support every Good Government in power for better service to humanity and the people of Ebonyi State. Governor remains the best Governor in Nigeria today and we are proud of him."