People of the entire southeast and Nigerians, across the country, are watching with outrage and dismay, the level of ingratitude and sabotage being shamefully demonstrated by Prof Benard Odo, a former secretary to the Ebonyi state government as he casts conscience to the winds to go against both the good people of Ebonyi and their hard-working Governor, who appointed him, contrary to all expectations and his political party principles.
The last time we checked, the former SSG was not sacked but resigned his appointment with the state government. It was reliably gathered that his resignation was not unconnected with the fear that he was going to be humiliated out of office due to his fraudulent involvement in the distribution of a loan meant for rice farmers in the state. He was said to have criminally pocketed a chunk of the loan by granting to fictitious or nonexistent ghost names.
He rightly felt the no-nonsense Governor, with zero tolerance to fraud and embezzlement of public funds, was not going to spare him not minding the high position he occupied. Of course, the structure put in place by Governor Umahi to check such criminal acts are so overwhelming that the former SSG couldn’t have effectively covered up his fraud, hence his resignation. Investigations revealed, after he left office, that he had been vicariously involved in the said massive fraud which deprived many Ebonyians of the much-needed funds to increase their rice production at the time. When he was asked, to explain what happened to the loan he managed, he resorted to making wild, stupid, and unfounded allegations against the Governor. He went further by writing petitions to the EFCC in his deliberate and desperate attempt to distract or divert attention. He is certainly headed for failure in this project because both Ebonyi people, the entire South easterners, and Nigerians, who have followed the unprecedented trend of developments in the state, already know the truth. How an academic Professor and a former SSG could embark on such a self-destructive mission, is beyond the comprehension of everyone. For him to feel that he has no name worthy of hi protection in this country is, very amazing.
This level of ingratitude being demonstrated by an academic Professor and lecturer for that matter, is, to say the least, shocking and a shame to whatever background, class, or position he claims.
Other Professors contacted to share their views on the man himself and the way he has decided to tarnish his image, disowned and felt very embarrassed by his actions. It also speaks volumes of who gets to be trusted and raises credibility questions. What does Prof Odo really want? That the government should look away and let him get away with public money or whip up.any sympathy from the people he criminally deprived?
For this type of behavior to come from any worthy indigen of Ebonyi, a state that has become a model and envy of leadership in other states across the country, for winning in every front, are nothing but evil, distractive, diversionary and pervasive.
The last thing Prof Odo ever expected was the high appointment he got from Governor Dave Umahi, not after having been a key part of the opposition during the campaigns for 2015 elections and a member of an elite conspiracy group that sought to scuttle the elections. How could Prof Odo have worked so hard to perpetrate a crime and later be so cheap to try to, shamelessly, undermine or distract the same Governor he so lavishly praised/eulogized, at every opportunity, while he was SSG? That level of betrayal and show of ingratitude is least expected of anyone in the class of a Professor. This can only hurt him in the long run because no future administration both in and outside the state, will want to have anything to do with him.
A few Ebonyi elites spoken to on this matter in Abuja had nothing good to say about the path Prof Odo chose to take. They felt that by bitting the fingers that fed him, he is a bad example to both his students and a disappointment to the young men in Ebonyi who looked up to him. The local people in the streets of Abakaliki, the state capital, think he is evil and not a true son of Ebonyi for making false claims and stupid allegations against their hard-working, humane, and God-fearing Governor.
We feel it would ‘ve been more honor if Prof Benard Odo, a young man, had simply walked away and quietly gone back to teach or pursued other available options than embark on this shameful, self-destructive journey.
Let’s see how far he can go.
Chief Aloy Obiajuru, a keen follower of events in Ebonyi, wrote from Abuja.
Nested Kirala