Juliana Francis
The Media Adviser to Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Uche Anichukwu, has debunked allegations that his principal diverted N400 million meant for constructing and equipping a kidney centre at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu, as well as for training some doctors overseas to man the facility.
Anichukwu, who described the allegation as a malicious, fake social media post, added that it was also a lie from the pit of hell, with the intention of destroying Ekweremadu and draining whatever public sympathy and goodwill the lawmaker and his embattled family enjoy in the present circumstance.
He added: “Instructively, the evil post failed to disclose the budget year, the Senator’s, company’s, or any other person’s account that it was paid into. How is it possible to release a whooping N400 million in the name of an agency without the agency doing any work? How is it possible to release the budgetary provisions of an agency to an individual or even a company without the knowledge of the agency as narrated in the post?
“We also wonder what manner of kidney centre could be constructed, fully equipped, and doctors to man it trained overseas, all at cost of N400 million at public procurement rate as claimed in the post.”
Anichukwu explained that the lie was not in the character of Ekweremadu and his politics of development.
“Not only do we know as a matter of fact that you cannot name two lawmakers, who have impacted the lives of their people positively in the history of Nigeria without naming Ekweremadu, but his humanitarian efforts are also well known among his people. With 700 full university scholarships, and 3,200 bursary awards, in addition, to support to over 6,000 widows, free medical treatment for over 30,000 people suffering from an eye-related problem, micro-credit to over 20 cooperative societies, among others, by the Ikeoha Foundation; and with a good number of people he gave a new lease of life by personally sponsoring their overseas medical trips, we state with every sense of modesty that ikeoha has paid his dues,” Anichukwu, recounted.
He stated that it was brutally wicked for someone to claim that a man, who ran into stormy weather in the process of saving the life of his daughter, and doing so as legally as he knows best, including writing to the UK High Commission is paying the price of Karma.
He further stated: “If this person is serious about his claims, let him put down his name, the exact year that the purported project was approved (a few years back in no year), the name of the Chief Medical Director of the UNTH at the time, the evidence of the account (personal or corporate) that the government paid the money into, etc.
“Indeed a discerning reader, who finds these information missing in the malicious post would readily know that the nameless, faceless author is out do mischief. We challenge whoever this author is to respond to these questions.
“While we wonder why this peddler of falsehood chose to do so at a time the Senator is not in a position to defend himself, we equally wish to remind him that Karma he/she mentioned is a two-edged sword, which does not also spare anyone, who wilfully go out to destroy another man with unfounded allegations.
“Besides, life is a long distance journey, and only God knows what lies ahead of every man or woman. Those who are in a hurry to compose the dirge of another man; those who are in a haste to conduct the funeral of a man with life still in him; and those who jubilate over the travails of another man had better be careful, for you never know.”
