By Ifeizu Joe
Member representing Oju/Obi Federal Constituency, in the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. David Agada Ogewu, has denied allegations that he referred to youths of Igede nation in Benue State, as fools.
Ogewu has recently come under attack for comments deemed to be derogatory which he allegedly made against the entire Igede youths.
But in a press release by Liberation Media, the official communication arm of the lawmaker’s office, the lawmaker denies the allegations, saying his reference was to few sponsored youths who recently staged a protest against Senator Abba Moro.
Ogewu in a lengthy explanation said a publication, signed by one Comrade Andyson Iji Egbodo and Smith Akoko under the banner of a self-acclaimed and illegal group known as the Igede Youth Council was nothing but a calculated attempt to malign his hard-earned reputation and to mislead the unsuspecting public.
The release said: “He (Ogewu) never referred to the Igede youths as fools. His comments were specifically directed at a few misguided individuals who, out of insensitivity, embarked on a protest against Senator Abba Moro—barely 48 hours after the senator lost his two beloved sons.
“Hon. Ogewu merely described the protest organizers and their actions as ‘foolishness and lacking empathy,’ not the entire youth of Igede population.
“It must be emphasized that Hon. Ogewu’s rebuke stemmed from a deep concern for the image of the Igede nation. The timing of the protest, coming when Senator Abba Moro was in mourning, was viewed by many well-meaning Nigerians as insensitive.
“Indeed, several individuals from outside Oju/Obi Constituency personally called Hon. Ogewu to express their disappointment over the incident, describing it as unfeeling and untimely. His statement, therefore, was intended to protect the moral reputation of our people, not to insult them.”
The lawmaker urged members of the public to disregard the baseless accusations, while also warning Andyson Iji Egbodo and Smith Akoko to desist from allowing themselves to be used to scuttle the good works of President Bola Tinubu in Igede land.
“We urge the general public, especially the people of Oju/Obi Federal Constituency, to completely disregard the baseless publication by these impostors. Their statements are nothing but the handiwork of political detractors desperate to incite dissaffection.
“We hereby caution Andyson Iji Egbodo and Smith Akoko to desist from allowing themselves to be used as pawns by politicians who thrive on division and mischief to scuttle the good works being carried out by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Oju/Obi federal constituency through the lobbying power of Hon. David Ogewu which include federal roads, Electrification, motorized boreholes, supply of hospital equipments to the two general hospitals Solar, empowerments, and numerous other interventions.”
