Anambra State Government has warned Senator Ifeanyi Ubah and other politicians in the state to stop playing politics with the coronavirus pandemic.
The government also distanced itself from the alleged independent fundraising by the Senator representing Anambra South on COVID -19
The government, in a statement Wednesday through the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C Don Adinuba, said it was neither consulted nor informed about the development.
The statement titled “ANAMBRA Covid-19 Account: A Clarification” said the clarification became necessary on account of number of unending calls the state government had received over the parallel fund-drive.
Adinuba said: “The government was shocked that such activities with hidden agenda were going on in the state without the knowledge of the government which according to him, had set up a fundraising on the same task with a robust mechanism for transparency and accountability.
“The state government will not be held liable for any funds donated to Ifeanyi Ubah’s parallel fundraising drive as the state government has no knowledge of what the activities are meant for.
” All over the country, concerned citizens that have supported the federal and state government with funds so far didn’t create independent fundraising drive in their respective states.
“Since the launch last week of the Anambra State COVID-19 account in the determination to fight the spread of the coronavirus in the state, a lot of people from the state and beyond have been calling officials of the state government to complain that they confuse it with the funds drive by Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in the name of mobilization of resources from wealthy indigenes to launch a campaign against the highly contagious disease.
“Until these individuals and organizations began to complain about the confusion they face while seeking to contribute funds to the Anambra people, the state government was not aware of the funds drive by Senator Ubah.
“In other words, the state government is not part of Senator Ubah’s funds drive. Our people should, therefore, not confuse the two. Ubah did not consult us before he started his solo enterprise, nor has he, to this moment, sought to work with the state government.
“Successful entrepreneurs like Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Mr Herbert Wigwe, Chief and Mrs Folorunso Alakija, Dr Mike Adenuga and Mr Tony Elumelu, who are not indebted to the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), have contributed significantly to the campaign against the coronavirus, and they have at every point worked in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Federal Government and the Lagos State government. They are not executing hidden agendas.
“Here in Anambra State, such eminently patriotic individuals as Dr. Ernest Obiejesi, Chief Allen Onyema and Dr. Clement Nwogbo have contributed handsomely to the Anambra State government’s effort to check the spread of the highly infectious scourge in our state.
”They recognise that it is immoral to play politics with the lives of millions of our people. It is, in fact, unconscionable and a mortal sin to politicize the current fight against COVID-19.”