From; Madu Ezenoha, Enugu
The Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Chief Osita Okechikwu on Monday in Enugu called the suspended vice chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Enugu state, Comrade Adolphus Ude a liar for alleging that he under paid Enugu delegates to the APC presidential primaries in 2014.
Okechukwu said that Ude had in a publication alleged that the sum of N150, 000 was allotted to delegates from Enugu but that they ended up getting N50, 000, courtesy of DG-VON, who brought the money from the Muhammadu Buhari campaign office.
But reacting to the allegation in a statement released to journalists in Enugu, the VON DG, Okechukwu warned Ude, who is currently on suspension to face charges of anti-party activities against him and desist from smearing people’s hard-earned reputations.
”The truth of the matter is that President Muhammadu Buhari said he will not give delegates money before voting in the presidential primary of 10 December, 2014. That after the election, whether he wins or not, he will thank delegates and we made this announcement.
“In case of Enugu State delegates, it was Comrade A.C. Ude and Lolo Queen Nwankwo, at my instance who collected Enugu State delegates’ thank you money from our campaign office, headed by the then Chief of Staff to Mr President, Colonel Hameed Ali, (rtd) now Comptroller General Customs.
“Colonel Ali explained to many of the delegates, not only those from Enugu State that the campaign office ran short of fund because after President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory on the 10 December, 2014 presidential primary elections, some presidential contestants abandoned Northern delegates at Lagos, in annoyance that they voted
for Mr President.
“This placed a burden on our campaign office and we had to cut the thank you money to delegates from N150, 000 to N50,000 and used it to pay the outstanding debt to the hired Aircrafts.
“Luckily for me, Colonel Ali is still alive, and can be reached for verification. So Adolphus Ude and cohorts cannot after two years, raise unfounded fake news against my person, because they were suspended.
“I never in my life cheated anybody, talk less of the compatriots of our great party, the APC. To make the matter simple, I can take any media person to Colonel Ali for verification. Ude must not blame me for his anti-party activities which led to his suspension please. He should bear his cross and leave me alone,” the VON DG stated.