An Open Appeal To Our Brothers Professor Benard Odoh,Chief IfeanyiChukwu Odii

Salt Family Foundation Worldwide. "An open appeal to our brothers Professor Bernard Odoh and Chief IfeanyiChukwu Odii."

Salt Family Foundation is an apolitical organisation with the mandate of positively impacting the lives of Ebonyians both at home and in diaspora. We are the Ebonyi family, and we are Family for Life! Being one of the last states that was created by Late Gen. Sani Abacha in 1996, Ebonyi State has made tremendous progress and have taken giant strides in infrastructural development to the admiration and awe of other States that were created at the same time. It was generally expected that Ebonyi State could not have made the kind of progress nor experienced the type of development that is being seen today. Presently, considering the development index of States within the country, Ebonyi State is one of the fastest developing States in Nigeria courtesy of various responsive government policies, integral norms, culture and tradition of our people which has ensured a peaceful and steadly progressive atmosphere for socio-economic and human capital development.

Salt Family Foundation Worldwide haven been made up of smart technocrats devoid of any political sentiments whatsoever, with the aim and vision of seeing a constantly prosperous Ebonyi State that allows peaceful and healthy family competition aimed at direct personal and integral development. We are working towards an Ebonyi State where basic rights and freedom of all Ebonyians are guaranteed, where true justice reigns. Equality among citizens is our watchword, hence we are the Ebonyi body. As Family promoting these noble and commendable socio-justice attributes, our aims and objectives which has kept us ever shining bright are the basics on which we seek to actualize the very implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals beginning from our individual families to our general Ebonyi Family. To achieve this aim, Salt Family Foundation worldwide is inseparable with a peaceful environment devoid of permanent enemies, long bickerings, lasting cold wars, and unrests. It is our primary duty to advocate for social justice, equity, equality laced with philanthropism, and above all, oneness, love, peaceful co-existence and brotherly understanding. Salt Family Foundation Worldwide wishes to once again congratulate the winner of the March 18, 2023 Gubernatorial election held in Ebonyi State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, and to also once again congratulate the second and third runners up, Chief IfeanyiChukwu Odii and Professor Bernard Odoh, respectively. We also want to congratulate the entire Ebonyi people for their massive participation throughout the entire exercise and their political consciousness, indeed it was a remarkable contest which is equally a record breaker in all ramifications.

During the aforementioned elections, Salt Family Foundation Worldwide deployed 171 field election observers across the 171 wards of the state, and 29 trained situation room coordinators for the purpose of monitoring the conduct of the elections and equally for our own personal records. Five (5) months after the election and three (3) months after the swearing in of the winner of that contest, we are here to present Salt Family Foundation Worldwide message to our people in general, and to our honourable brothers: Professor Bernard Odoh and Chief IfeanyiChukwu Odii in particular, respectively. This message is stemmed from our empirical findings, evaluation and understanding of all that happened before, during and after the 2023 Gubernatorial election in the Ebonyi State. In preparing this message, we considered all the tenets of our family union taking into cognisance, our taproot which goes to the very existence of our people, ranging from our ancestors, our elders, down to the sacred foetuses of our unborn children. The message goes thus:

1. We are thrilled by the galant dispositions of our brothers who contested the Ebonyi State Gubernatorial election. Their zeal to be in charge of the affairs of Ebonyi State and to implement their peculiar and distinct visions of what they want our State to be, which is contained in their various manifestos are perfect and admirable. Their awareness campaigns and marketing strategies were awesome, vivid and classical. We saw one thing in common with all the camps, the enthusiasm to win the election and positively impact the lives of the Ebonyi family. 2. At the close of the exercise, results were declared by INEC based on official collation of results coming in from different polling units across the State, it was obvious that His Excellency, Rt. Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, rightfully and fairly became the winner of the Guber contest, having recorded the majority of the lawful votes cast at the election. We witnessed a peaceful transition of power from David Nweze Umahi to Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru. 3. Dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, our honourable brothers, to wit: Chief IfeanyiChukwu Odii and Professor Bernard Odoh approached and filed papers with Gubernatorial Election Petition Tribunal, challenging neither the conduct of the elections nor the result emanating from the said election. 4. On further inquiry, we found out that our brothers, to wit: Chief IfeanyiChukwu Odii and Professor Bernard Odoh are in court not to seek redress over the conduct of the election nor the result emanating therefrom but they are seeking to sacrifice the will of Ebonyians, haven spoken through the ballot, on the altar of legal technicalities arising from a pre-election issue. It is now a contest between the will of the people against legal technicality arising from a pre-election issue. 5. From the records available to Salt Family Foundation Worldwide vide it's 2023 election observation report and the official declared result declared by INEC, His Excellency Rt. Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru won the electoral contest freely and fairly, this means that majority of the Ebonyi family chose him to be their Governor. We are aware that the Ebonyi family in choosing Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru did so wholeheartedly, devoid of any interest in any form of technicality whether legal or illegal. 6. Be that as it may, we want to assure our Honourable brothers, Professor Benard Odoh and Chief Ifeanyichukwu Odii of our brotherly love and regards. We wish to state categorically that we hold them in very high esteem and will forever be proud of them as they have stood out and have excelled in their diverse life endeavours. We are equally not oblivious of the existence of their rights to pursue a redress in any court or tribunal in Nigeria over an infraction of their rights whether perceived, actual or ephemeral. Salt Family Foundation Worldwide being the Ebonyi body equally seeks to cast our minds back to the fact that it is equitable for Ebonyi North senatorial district to produce the governor taking consideration that both Ebonyi Central and Ebonyi South senatorial districts have enjoyed their turns, respectively. This rotation of power will ensure peaceful coexistence and birth democratic growth of the State. It is indeed wisdom to allow Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru who is from Izzi clan in Ebonyi North Senatorial zone to deliver the charter of people's needs as contained in his manifesto to the people of Ebonyi State. It's trite to point out that he has hit the ground running. 7. Being concerned as the Ebonyi body coupled with the fact that the elections are over, it's time to build our State and place it at an enviable position in the comity of States in Nigeria. Our people have spoken and have handed the mandate to direct the affairs of the State to the man they trust, hence in as much as technicalities may come into consideration, Salt Family Foundation Worldwide looks beyond that and focuses at the actual number of votes cast in favour of Rt. Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru as announced by INEC and obtained from IRev portal. We seek that which unites us as opposed to that which divides us and we urge our brothers, to wit: Professor Benard Odoh and Chief Ifeanyichukwu Odii to withdraw your various petitions at the tribunal, embrace the government of Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru and contribute to the building of Ebonyi State. 8. It is an empirical fact that Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru won the Guber election. 9. Salt Family Foundation Worldwide in their pursuit of peace and harmony being the bedrock of sustainable socio-economic development hereby humbly implore, appeal and plead that our honourable brothers, the duo of Chief IfeanyiChukwu Odii and Professor Bernard Odoh to withdraw their cases from the Gubernatorial Election Tribunal in order to ensure that the mandate of the peaceful and progressive Ebonyians are upheld. 10. Lastly, we humbly ask all well-meaning Ebonyians both at home and in diaspora to support the government of Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, join hands with him to further develop Ebonyi State and ensure that the welfare of every Ebonyian is fully catered for. Ebonyians made a wise choice in choosing Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru as their governor this is evident in his physical translation of the People's Charter of Needs into reality in just 100 days in office as Governor. So far, the government of Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru has made great impacts in diverse aspects of Ebonyi State including but not limited to, Human Capital Development, Environment, Commerce and Industry, Women and Child Care, Internal security, public water supply, youth and sports development and Education. Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru requires every hands to be on deck, hence every support is needed for Ebonyi State to excel. We have spoken. Let it be on record and we are confident that our brothers have heard. Thanks God bless Salt Family Foundation Worldwide. Cc: Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru Cc: Chief IfeanyiChukwu Odii Cc: Professor Bernard Odoh Signed: Ezeogo N. Enwo-Igariwey. Member Hall of Supreme Leaders. Signed: Chief Elvis E.Anasi. Chief of the Hall of Supreme Leaders. 08.09.2023