By: Emmanuel Nlewedum
Mr. Bright Jossy-Elendu, the press secretary to Dr Chidi Lloyd, chairman of Emohua local government council in Rivers State, has come under fire over his alleged derogatory comments on some indigenes of Rundele, one of the communities in the area.
He was accused to have described Rundele people as
‘ungrateful and cowards’.
Elendu’s alleged derogatory comment was contained in one of his recent press releases.
Reacting to the comment, the Rundele Development Frontiers in a statement in Port Harcourt by it’s leader, Hon. Unity Hekerem described Bright Jossy-Elendu’s comment as insulting and totally unacceptable to the people of Rundele.
The Emohua council press secretary had in a statement last week while reacting to alleged rumours on abandonment of work, at Ukheli road in Rundele, one of the four road projects being executed simultaneously across the LGA by the council chairman, Dr Chidi Lloyd, described Rundele indigenes asking for completion of the project by the contractors on social media as ‘Ungrateful and Cowards’.
Jossy-Elendu in the statement also berated the people whom he described as ‘Naysayers and Armchair Critics’ of his boss for allegedly attempting to mislead members of the public with fabricated information on the 1.5 kilometer Ukheli road in Rundele, assuring that the project would be delivered in line with the directive of the council chairman in August, 2022.
The group said it was even more shocking that Bright Jossy-Elendu, after acknowledging that the contractor handling the project, with 3 kilometer drainage is no longer on site for a period of time now, and that the Council had already concluded necessary arrangements to remobilize them to site, had the effrontery to call Rundele people names.
The RDF while condemning Jossy-Elendu’s comment also noted that the community are not ingrates and remains grateful to the council chairman, Dr. Lloyd for flagging off construction of the Ukheli road, and also appealed that he compel the contractors to return to site in order to deliver the project on the stipulated time.
The statement reads in part, “Dear Bright Jossy Elendu, the new SSA to Chidi Lloyd on Insult, Rundele people don’t blame you for calling them cowards, we blame our people who still follow Wike after years of neglect and none-citing of a single project in Rundele community.
“How on earth can a supposed responsible man, in the capacity of a press secretary to a very respected council chairman be so unguided in calling Rundele people names for asking for completion of an internal road project, simply because he (Jossy-Elendu) believed insulting people or community will earn him elevation in his place of work.
“Ordinarily, there would have been no point responding to Bright, but for the purpose of clarity, we wish to state that Rundele people are not and can never be cowards as misunderstood by Bright Jossy-Elendu.
“Rundele people remains grateful to the executive chairman of our dear Emohua local government area, Dr. Chidi Lloyd for the construction of Ukheli road and have respect for constituted authorities as well as our neighbouring communities, and has consistently promoted peaceful, and harmonious relationships with their brothers, including Bright Jossy-Elendu’s Elibrada people in Emohua.
“However, Bright Jossy-Elendu should be reminded that such unguarded and incendiary comments from him, describing Rundele indigenes asking for completion of an internal road project and decrying the hardship occasioned by the deplorable state of the road, even as the contractors were out of site as ‘Ungrateful and Cowards’ is insulting and totally unacceptable by the people of Rundele, and his kinsmen are advised to call him to order.
“The RDF also reminds Bright Jossy-Elendu that power is transient and that sooner or later, he will vacate the office of the CPC, that is intoxicating him, to become an ordinary citizen like others in Emohua”.
“As for the road that led to this name calling, let us thank the Council Chairman, Dr. Chidi Lloyd for remembering Rundele once again. If people like him were in PDP since 2015, maybe Rundele would have become more developed than it is today.
“However, we appealed that he charges the contractors to return to site in order to deliver the project on the stipulated time”.
