Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
Senior Special Assistant to the Ebonyi State Governor, Office of Her Excellency, Princess Nkechinyere Iyioku, has raised the alarm over activities of scammers using her name for fake empowerment programmes.
Iyioku, a former Chairman of Ohaozara Local Government Area, raised the alarm in a statement on Thursday in Abakaliki, capital of the state.
She urged members of the public not to fall victim to the activities of scammers and fraudulent persons using her name to defraud unsuspecting members of the public in the guise of empowerment.
Princess Iyioku described as unfortunate, the desperation being exhibited by some unidentified persons in the state, and denied any knowledge of any empowerment programme by her or her office.
She noted that in her previous empowerment programmes and other activities, there were verifiable channel of communication to the members of the public.
She maintained that at no point had anyone been asked to pay any amount of money to enable the person benefit in her empowerment programme.
“I Princess Nkechinyere Iyioku, the SSA to the Ebonyi State Governor, Office of Her Excellency wish to inform the people of Ugwulangwu, the good people of Ohaozara and Ebonyi State in general that I am not organising any empowerment programme for now.
“Please this information serves as a disclaimer to a text massage being circulated by some fraudulent elements in a bid to extort and defraud unsuspecting members of the public of their money,” she said.
Part of the text massages being circulated by the fraudulent elements seen by our reporter reads thus: “Nwinya ogonnaya congratulation to you, you are among the winner that won #150.000 and one new motorcycle so how are you going to get it order from above HON. Princess nkechinyere Iyioku, (sign) youth empowerment scheme at igwebuike polling unit.”
The Former ALGON Chairman noted that those carrying such activities are those who want to demarket her reputation which she has built over the years.
She commended the people of the state for not falling victims to the activities of the fraudulent elements.
Princess Iyioku called on the security agencies and other relevant authorities to fish out the perpetrators of the criminal act and prosecute them to serve as deterrent to others who might want to engage in such an act using her name.
