By Peter Okutu

ABAKALIKI — An unprecedented crowd, yesterday, took to the streets in Abakaliki to demonstrate their support for President Goodluck Jonathan and the state Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Engr. Dave Umahi, in the forthcoming general election.

They called on Governor Martin Elechi to respond to the impeachment notice served on him by the state House of Assembly since last week.

This came as the leadership of organised Labour unions closed the entrances leading to all the ministries and parastatals in the state as part of its industrial action against the non-implementation of the national minimum wage to workers in the state since 2011.

The crowd, drawn from the 13 local government areas of the state, was seen chanting anti-Elechi slogans and carrying placards with unpalatable inscriptions against the governor.

Some of the placards read:   “Ebonyi civil servants say no to Gov Elechi’s maltreatment; “We, the civil servants are suffering in the hands of Elechi,” “Ebonyi State House of Assembly cannot be deterred, she is simply doing her constitutional duties,” “100% vote for PDP,” “Say no to family, friends/government,” “Moving Ebonyi State forward through Dave Umahi,” “Civil servants need their money, corruption must stop,” “We need our minimum wage – Ebonyi civil servant,” “Equity for greater Ebonyi State,” among others.

The crowd condemned the incorporation of state-owned companies without the consent of the state House of Assembly by the present administration, embezzlement of public funds by government officials, plot to deprive the South senatorial zone from producing the next governor of the state, unwillingness of Governor Martin Elechi to pay workers the national minimum wage and Governor Elechi’s lack of support for President Jonathan in this month’s general elections.

In a remark, Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chukwuma Nwazunku, said the House would not be deterred from performing its constitutional responsibilities.