Chief Oguzor Offia-Nwali, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Business Development and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on the people of Ebonyi to disregard remarks attributed to the Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID). The group had claimed that Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru was misleading the Ezza clan to secure political support ahead of the 2027 general election. Offia-Nwali, speaking in Abakaliki, described the statement as malicious, misleading, and uncalled for.
AEISCID Accused of Being a PDP Front
Offia-Nwali, an indigene of the Ezza clan, told journalists that the publication by AEISCID was an attempt to spread falsehood. He said, “Ordinarily this inconsequential cacophony would have been ignored but we have to clear the falsehood it contains before it sinks in the mind of the innocent public.” He accused the group of being a mischievous youth gang of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate Chief Ifeanyichukwu Odii (Anyi Chuks) Campaign Council.
According to Offia-Nwali, AEISCID is not a legitimate socio-cultural organization but an “Owambe gang” operating along the Mararaba-Nyanya axis of Nasarawa State. He stated, “They can never hold brief nor speak for the Ezza Ezekuna on issue whatsoever. As an amateur gang-up, the group lacks a clear-cut delineation of what it actually represents. For instance, judging from their badly structured name, they do not know and could not differentiate an ‘Oyes’ group from a ‘socio-cultural’ organization.”
Defense of Governor Nwifuru’s Projects
Offia-Nwali also addressed criticisms regarding the Vanco Project, which AEISCID had described as abandoned or slow. He clarified, “To the discerning general public and Ebonyians in particular, the Vanco Project is at its advanced stage of completion. Suffice to clarify that Governor Nwifuru is a quality-driven young man who prioritizes quality over quantity.” He added that the era of cosmetic projects is over in Ebonyi State under Nwifuru’s leadership, and all projects must pass long-term integrity tests.
He further described Governor Nwifuru as a visionary, coordinated, and pro-development leader, dismissing AEISCID’s criticisms as the work of a “blinded janjaweed group” suffering from “stage 4 shortsightedness.” Offia-Nwali said, “We are not surprised at their profligacy, understandably because, as one of the mushroom extensions of Anyi Chuks 2027 campaign organization, they cannot see beyond their nose.”
Ezza Clan Endorsement and Misrepresentation
Offia-Nwali rejected AEISCID’s claim that the governor’s absence from an endorsement organized by the Ezza Elder Council indicated a lack of commitment. He noted that the Ebonyi Government was represented by the Deputy Governor, Princess Patricia Onyemaechi Obila, a high-profile public office holder. He challenged the group, saying, “It is only a confused person that will use his absence in Ezza alone as yardstick or basis of evaluation of his commitment to Ezza Welfare.”
He reiterated that the well-meaning people of Ezza Ezekuna have unanimously endorsed Governor Nwifuru for a second term in 2027. “Among other compelling reasons for this uncommon adoption include the Governor’s impeccable demonstration of his organic love for Ndu Ezza Clan in particular, and Ebonyians in general, through a restoration of permanent peace in all the war-ridden homesteads of Ezza people, a herculean task past governments of Ebonyi State shied away from,” Offia-Nwali said.
Call to Reject AEISCID’s Deception
Offia-Nwali urged the Ezza clan to reject the “grand deception” propagated by AEISCID, which he accused of having a selfish and confusing agenda. He pointed out inconsistencies in the group’s stance, noting that they clamour for an Ezza governor project in 2031 while simultaneously endorsing Chief Chukwuma Odii. He called on the group to maintain a definite stance instead of engaging in double standards.
“I therefore call on the great Ezza Ezekuna Clan to reject in totality, the grand deception being propagated by the delusional Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID) led by our brother, Pascal Oluchukwu,” Offia-Nwali concluded.
