Anambra state Governor; Chief Willie Obiano and his wife, Ebelechukwu, have come under severe attack following a recent video of Mrs. Obiano giving charity in downtown Houston, Texas, USA under her pet project, Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFE).
In the video, Mrs. Obiano was seen feeding homeless Houstonians and distributing gifts of chairs, electric fans and clothes, among others to them in U-Hauls.
Many have described the act as misplaced priority while others equated it to one gaming while his house was on fire.
The World Igbo Congress (WIC) and Diaspora Igbo in a letter to the Governor by its Secretary General, Dr. Richard Nwachukwu, said his wife’s act was wasteful.
They expressed shock that the activity was published on the governor’s Facebook page, extolling the act as a virtue and giving it a stamp of approval.
While admitting that the first family had the rights to humanitarian or charity acts, the groups in the letter dated January 4, were concerned about the thoughtfulness and justification or otherwise that went into the act in the light of the dire straits in which the people of Anambra State and the Igbo nation found themselves at the moment.
“We noted the lavish distribution of food and supplies and we have wondered whether this is not a case of carrying coal to New Castle or of Emperor Nero frolicking while Rome burnt.
“The World Igbo Congress and all Diaspora Igbo condemn this act as mindless, unjustifiable and uncalled for in the face of the following few of the sorry situations of our people that you govern.”
They noted that the devastating erosion and spate of fire disasters had generated massive humanitarian problems in the state that deserved the attention of the government.
“We are aware that there are about 500 active gully erosion sites in the state. These active sites have swallowed up human habitation, killed Anambra citizens and rendered survivors homeless. In terms of priority, these erosion sites deserve a “save our soul” attention before the Houstonians and indeed the European countries that the first Lady has threatened to expand her “kindness” to.
(Daily Sun)
