A group Coalition for Justice and Equity, COJE has appealed to Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu to recall his suspended Chief of Staff, ACB Agbazuere.
In a statement signed by the COJE President, Comrade Christian Nwafor, and Secretary, Comrade Uchenna Nwosu, while appealing to the Governor to offer the suspended Chief of Staff a fair hearing, it says appreciating a clergy is not out of place.
Though no reason was given for the suspension of the Chief of Staff, it may not be unconnected in a recent video where he was seen spraying money to a clergy, popularly known as Odumeje.
While not absolving the Chief of Staff of any wrongdoing, the group insisted that he was merely appreciating his spiritual mentor.
It says, “While we know that it is logical to consider the act of spraying money at office-especially at a time like this – wrong, we all know that man is a spiritual being. What transpired on that said day was borne out of spiritual gratification were Dr. A. C. B. Agbazuere, a practicing and believing Christian appreciated his spiritual mentor. Giving – even of tithes and alms – is done at churches even on such occasions like harvest and Bazar, fundraising and support appeal and also seed sowing, even. Though the Chief of Staff appreciated (by spraying money) his spiritual benefactor at office which is now sparking up strong sentiments at various media quarters, it was out of elation that the Chief of Staff did what he did. As Christians, charity and appreciating ministers of God is no crime, though we understand the context in this case. It could have been a wrong exercise of a rightful spiritual chore as even in the bible the priests and prophets were all entitled to one form of appreciation or the other. The Levites being a striking example.
“Before now, the Chief of Staff has – with all sense of dignity – discharged his official duties without fear or favor until his suspension. His place in the executive cabinet of the state government is not one to be undermined nor underemphasized. Suspension of one who has fully committed himself to a desk-binding task on a daily for Abia and her people may not be good for the state considering the fact that having mastered the job and done same effectively well before now, his absence could lead to an administrative void.
“We plead with the governor, His Excellency Okezie Ikpeazu Ph.D. to, in the spirit of magnanimity, reinstate his hardworking Chief of Staff. We all cannot dwell on errors of others as to err is human and to forgive divine. Forgiving is divine and Christlike. This is the very reason for which Igbo people agree that when a child is beaten by a parent with the right hand, the same child is drawn to embrace with the left. Being a committed team player in the administration of His Excellency, COJE, in the humblest of manner, implores on His Excellency to recall his Chief of Staff while urging aggrieved and offended Abians to – as God’s own children – reconcile with this issue.
“The Chief of Staff, no doubt, is a hard worker who most times overwork himself, an impeccable man who has been in the service of Abia for years now. Looking at the video there is a possibility, the Chief of staff was set up and some possibility the Video was doctored due to the empirical evidence we have gathered. WHO IS AGAINST THIS MAN. (ACB AGBAZUERE) His sterling records and continuations from his humble beginning are there for all to see and this is not the time to ignore all this. While we understand the sentiment, emotive judgements being held against him now, we equally understand that in a government circle, the familiar is better than the strange. May we all, Abians, see a reason not to throw away the child with bathwater.”
