Former Ebonyi state governor, Martin Elechi, turns down N29m car gift from his successor

Immediate past governor of Ebonyi state, Martin Elechi and his successor, Dave Umahi, are currently at loggerheads after the former governor rejected a N29 million car gift from the current governor.

The state government had recently purchased four SUVs at N29 million each for 3 former governors of the state namely Sam Egwu, Ogbonnaya Onu and Martin Elechi and also former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim.

According to a letter sent to the recipients, the car gift is in recognition of the contributions of the former leaders in the development of their state. However the immediate past governor of the state, Elechi returned his own car.

In a letter he sent to the state governor, Elechi said he does not understand the rationale behind the gift. According to him, the same government that has approached EFCC to investigate him and two of his children over allegations of corruption, cannot be offering him a gift.

“As if the bad verdict on projects is not enough, there is the saga of malicious and false petitions against me and two of my children to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)… This is courtesy of Your Excellency’s ingenuity with your team players,” he wrote.

Umahi has however denied asking the EFCC to go after Elechi and his sons. Speaking during an agricultural summit organized by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Abakaliki yesterday June 30th, Umahi said

“This administration never wrote anything to EFCC. I speak to you in the name of God I serve. I told EFCC leave this man because of his age. If you find him wanting in terms of money, tell me I will be paying small small until I finish paying it. I said that in the name of he that brought us to leadership but not for his sons. His children will answer to whatever thing they committed” he said