GOVERNOR UMAHI WINS EBONYI STATESMAN OF THE YEAR POLL
* "Result of the poll is a statement of the obvious". - Ag. Chairman NLC Ebonyi state.
The governor of Ebonyi state, Chief David Nweze Umahi, has emerged winner of the 7th edition of the annual Face of Ebonyi/Ebonyi Statesman of the Year online poll conducted between 1st April, 2017 and 7th May, 2017.
A statement signed by the conductors of the poll, Mr. Idemudia K. Onome of Blaze Media Concepts Lagos and Chief Efor Unya of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (Unity F.M. Abakaliki) which was made available to newsmen in Abakaliki on 8th May, 2017 read in parts: "In this 7th edition of the Ebonyi Statesman of the Year polls which was preceded by several radio announcements, advertisements in national and local newspapers and escalated on several social media platforms, we partnered as usual with critical stakeholders of Ebonyi Project. Online voting opened for all Ebonyi people irrespective of political, religious and tribal affiliations on 1st April, 2017 and ended at midnight of 7th May, 2017".
The statement of the organizers of the uncensored poll who have been doing same in Ebonyi and other states like Lagos, Edo and Ogun since 2010 further read; "It is our pleasure to hereby notify you that the good people of Ebonyi state have elected Your Excellency, Governor David Nweze Umahi as "EBONYI STATESMAN OF THE YEAR, and it suffices that Your Excellency has by this feat set a new record of becoming the first serving Governor to be so honoured by Ebonyi people in the history of the polls! This, to discerning minds, is a token of Ebonyi people's appreciation of the projects/programs of your administration and we congratulate Your Excellency for winning the hearts of Ebonyi people".
Reacting to this development, the acting chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress in Ebonyi state, Comrade Leonard Nkah, said that "the result of the polls was a statement of the obvious". According to Nkah, "Governor Umahi has provided good leadership for Ebonyi people. His projects/programs in about two years are inspiring. Members of the organized labour in Ebonyi state actually voted for Governor Umahi in the online poll. We are looking forward to a day the poll will be stretched to the 36 states in Nigeria and Governor Umahi will win the Best Governor category".
Mr. Anthony Usulor, an Abuja-based businessman and Ebonyi indigene said that Governor Umahi's emergence as Ebonyi Statesman of the Year was a well-deserved honour. Hear him: "The projects I saw at home the last time I visited Ebonyi state confounded me. Ebonyi state and Abakaliki in particular has been transformed into a modern city by Umahi. The result of the polls is a well-deserved honour. We, the Ebonyians, are proud of Governor Umahi and his re-election in 2019 is incontestable".
Chief Bernard Uzim, a politician and supporter of Governor Umahi, was excited because, in his words, the development "is a proof that Ebonyi people really appreciate the efforts of Umahi who is building a new and inclusive Ebonyi state, a land of opportunities for both the present and future generations. The honour coming at the mid-term anniversary of Umahi's administration is a pointer to what will happen in the 2019 polls. I thank Ebonyi people for their show of gratitude to a governor who loves them so much and wants the best for them".
A rural farmer from Ugo Eze village in Effium community, Mrs. Grace Nwali Ekuma, who spoke in Ezza dialect confessed that she did not know how to operate a mobile phone and so did not participate in the online poll, but according to her; "mu maru obia eka l'ekwo, mu je l'abiaru iya David Umahi. Onoo nke l'oya meru mu reta okpoga l'iwhe mu koberu l'ali" (which translates: "I know how to cast my vote in elections; and I will vote for David Umahi because he is the one who made farming profitable).
The statement of the organizers concluded that "Ebonyi people's honour will be conferred on Governor David Nweze Umahi as well as on the other winners on 19th May, 2017 at the Women Development Centre, Abakaliki".
