The Office of the Member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, Hon. Ibe Okwara Osonwa, has dismissed as false claims circulating on social media alleging that over 100 buses and tricycles distributed during the lawmaker’s empowerment programme have gone missing.

The office described the allegation as a deliberate distortion of facts, insisting that neither Hon. Osonwa nor his office ever announced the distribution of 100 buses and tricycles at any time.

In a statement signed by Arua Goodluck, the office said the widely publicised empowerment programme was conducted openly before a large audience and attended by the Deputy Governor of Abia State, political stakeholders, traditional rulers, community leaders and constituents from across Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency.

According to the statement, the intervention involved the distribution of tricycle trucks, mini buses, sewing machines, refrigerators, generators, grinding machines, food items and several other empowerment tools aimed at improving the economic fortunes of beneficiaries.

It noted that the beneficiaries were genuine constituents drawn from communities across the federal constituency and remain identifiable within their respective localities.

The office stressed that the empowerment initiative was a personal intervention by Hon. Osonwa and not a government transport scheme or a programme funded through any statutory allocation.

It argued that portraying the exercise as though it was designed to establish a public transport fleet was misleading and ignored the true purpose of the programme.

“The items were presented to individual beneficiaries to strengthen their means of livelihood and encourage economic self-reliance. They were never intended to serve as commercial buses to be stationed on roads across Ohafia or Arochukwu,” the statement said.

Responding to attempts to link the empowerment programme with the ongoing enforcement of restrictions on commercial motorcycles, the office maintained that while the transportation concerns of residents deserve attention, they should not be confused with a privately funded empowerment initiative that was implemented exactly as announced.

It added that issues relating to transportation policy remain the responsibility of the relevant state and local government authorities.

The statement further maintained that if interventions of such scale were mandatory for every federal legislator, similar programmes would have become commonplace in constituencies across the country.

It said Hon. Osonwa chose to exceed the conventional expectations of legislative representation by investing personal resources in initiatives designed to uplift constituents and expand economic opportunities.

Reaffirming the lawmaker’s commitment to development, the office pointed to what it described as a growing record of achievements over the past three years in education, healthcare, water supply, road infrastructure and economic empowerment.

It added that the office welcomes public scrutiny of its activities, expressing confidence that an objective assessment would affirm the impact of Hon. Osonwa’s representation.

The statement was signed by Arua Goodluck for the Office of Hon. Ibe Okwara Osonwa, Member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency.