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Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, (NHRC) Chidi Odinkalu has expressed concern over a purported video of Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State ordering soldiers to flog civil servants who arrived late for work.
The lawyer shared the clip via Twitter on Tuesday and stated that it happened when the governor was on a project inspection in Abakaliki and stopped his convoy at the Government house gate.
Odinkalu said Umahi then ordered soldiers to stop civil servants who had arrived late and flog them while he supervised.
In the video which is circulating online, the government workers could be seen rolling on the ground as they were being flogged by the Army men while some other persons stood watching from a distance.
Sharing the video, the human rights lawyer, wrote; “So, today in Ebonyi, @GovDaveUmahi went for a project inspection & then instructs the soldiers to flog – yes flog! – civil servants who arrived late.
“Not done, Dave Umahi supervised the flogging. Tomorrow, he’ll be rewarded with seat in @NGRSenate.”
REACTION
But the Ebonyi State Governor, debunked the viral video,, saying it was doctored and manipulated.
In a statement released Tuesday night by the state’s Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Orji Uchenna Orji , Umahi disclosed that that he aborted an attempt by miscreants to block the Airport gate in the guise that they were enforcing a sit-at-home order.
The statement reads; ”Our attention has been drawn to a doctored footage purporting to be Civil Servants rolling on the ground and being flogged by security personnel in the presence of the Governor of Ebonyi State while on inspection at the Government House gate, Abakaliki as reported…shared widely in different social media platforms and accepted line hook and sinker by the gullible.
“We wish to inform members of the public that the purported footage is a video manipulation of an aborted attempt by miscreants to block the Airport gate and inflict fear on those working at the on going International Airport and possibly embarrass the Governor who was on a routine inspection visit to the Airport project, in guise that they were enforcing sit-at home- order at the premises of the Airport on Tuesday, 4th September, 2022.
“It would be recalled that
miscreants had in the past tried to attack those working at the Airport site and their plots were neutralized. Contrary to the fake report that the incident happened at the gate of the Government House in Abakaliki while the Governor was on supervision, the miscreants were dispelled at the gate of the new Airport under construction. It is to be noted that no Civil Servants or employees whatsoever have been recruited to work in the Airport and so no Civil Servant was flogged at the Airport gate, contrary to impression in the trending report. We are therefore surprised at the basis of the unintelligent fabrications of the mischief makers.
“There is no amount of blackmail that can distract the performing Governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency Engr Chief David Nweze Umahi FNSE FNATE who had visited the Airport to carry out his routine inspection of projects as regular inspection of projects is one the reasons why we pride with quality assurance in our policy of monitoring and evaluation in Government businesses.
“Members of the public are therefore enjoined to discountenance the manipulated trending video as the handiwork of enemies of progress.” CONTINUE READING…
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