Ebonyi State Governor Orders Immediate Return Of Adopted Uzoamaka | Says She’s Government’s Property
David Umahi, the Governor of Ebonyi State, has ordered the immediate return of the 15-year-old girl, Uzoamaka Chukwu, who was stripped naked and beaten in public by men in Ebonyi State in a video which went viral earlier this month (read here).
The governor gave the order on Sunday after visiting the family of the girl at Umunaga Uburu. According to him, the government has decided to take full responsibility of her rehabilitation and training, Vanguard learned.
Recall that Uzoamaka was last week reported to have been adopted by an Ebonyi State-born Port–Harcourt-based businesswoman, Ms Rita Nnenna Anoh. However, the governor insisted that the girl must be returned within seven days or be declared wanted because she remains a property of the state.
According to a statement he released through his Chief Press Secretary, Emma Anya:
“Government is asking that wherever she is, she should come back so that we can take over her training from secondary school to university level. We will also be able to rehabilitate her.
We are giving seven days for her to come back. We don’t know where she is but we ask that she must return because she is the property of the state.
The matter is before a competent court, so we may not say much but on what we saw,we felt very bad as a people, as government and as brothers and sisters of Uzoamaka.
We feel that is a gross violation of her right and man’s inhumanity to man. So we are very sad about it and that is why I directed that all of us should come to take over the responsibility of the girl.
The government’s intervention would not disrupt justice in the case, as we would ensure that such incident does not repeat itself while thanking the family for its belief in the government’s ability to handle the issue. The case in court will continue to run its course and justice must also be done in that direction,” he emphasized.
Responding on behalf of the family, Elder Francis Odabe thanked the governor saying:
“We know you are a charitable son of the soil and we know that even if you had not been a governor, you would have still come to sympathise with us. You would have still shown concern because we know you for that.”
Odabe promised on behalf of the family to do everything possible to ensure that Uzoamaka is brought back home within the seven days ordered by the governor.
Photo credit: Facebook
hmmmmnnn..
Governor eye just dey open…shooooo
Na now day break for governor? Mtschew. Is the government ready to care for her the way this family will? Abeg they should just leave her where she is biko.
What mumu govt property, where was he when all this madness was happening and after that?
It’s not about calling her government property and the next gist will be that she has been neglected. What happens to her when Umahi is no longer governor? They should rather be checking up on her instead of tossing her up and down after all she’s been through
Rehabilitation?, does she look like someone who needs rehabilitation?
Government property indeed. She should be allowed to speak for herself, let decide where she wants to be, either with the government or with Miss Rita.