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| Maria Ude Nwachi |
Former member of Ebonyi State House of Assembly Maria Ude Nwachi, popularly called ‘Afikpo Chic’, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the non-payment of her severance allowance and entitlements by the Assembly.
Nwachi said she was owed N90 million.
She said her aides were also owed N3.6 million.
“I urge President Buhari to intervene … If this fails, I would have no option than to head to court.
“I might be compelled to seek redress in the court if this issue is not resolved and my entitlements and benefits paid as soon as possible.
Nigerian representatives of all the foreign countries my governor visits and enjoys their style of democracy, respect for human rights, respect for women’s right and dignity and humane governance, will also be alerted of his atrocities and his flagrant abuse of my human rights.”
Recounting her ordeal in the Assembly as the only opposition member, Nwachi noted, among others, that she was suspended indefinitely because she was a photographer.
The embattled lawmaker alleged she was targeted for humiliation by the Assembly leadership.
She said: “My financial entitlements and benefits, including those of my aides, were withheld by Governor Umahi till date.
It is on record, and I want the world to know it so no lawmaker or even politician may have to go through the type of pains and difficulties that Governor David Umahi made me experience.
“I want the world to know that throughout my embattled four-year tenure, I never received the monthly stipend of N500,000 regularly paid my colleagues by the executive arm under Umahi’s leadership. This sums up to N24 million for my troubled four year-tenure as a lawmaker.
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government first accused me of leading a protest to demand for the restoration of electricity in my town.
As archetypal of the Umahi administration, I was not only ‘summoned’ and forced to apologise to the governor, which I refused to do, I was immediately and unilaterally suspended indefinitely.
“At another time, I was ridiculously suspended by my colleagues for being a photographer, which some of my colleagues claimed brought shame and dishonour to the House…”
