The Obi said in a statement released on Wednesday by his Chief of Staff, Chinyelugo Anion’wu, that he never had such engagement with Obasanjo.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, has discredited a claim by the Presidency that he clashed with former President Olusegun Obasanjo during the sod-turning ceremony for the second River Niger Bridge in the first tenure of the ex-president.
The monarch’s rebuttal followed a press release on January 2, 2023, by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, titled “Morally Squalid Obasanjo Attacks Leaders Out Of Frustration.”
In the release made by the Presidency to counter Obasanjo’s criticism of the Buhari administration and his endorsement of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi; the Presidency said, “When he (Obasanjo) sought re-election for his second term in office, he returned to the site to turn the sod for the bridge the second time. When the Obi of Onitsha, forthright and scholarly, reminded him that he had done this in the past, Obasanjo told the foremost Southeast traditional ruler that he was a liar, in the full presence of the Chiefs and Oracles in his palace.”
Reacting to the claim, the Obi said in a statement made available to The Niche on Wednesday by his Chief of Staff, Chinyelugo Anion’wu, that he never had such engagement with Obasanjo.
The statement read, “The attention of Ime Obi Onicha (The Palace) has been drawn to a State House Press Release of January 2, 2023 by Garba Shehu. Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), titled MORALLY SQUALID OBASANJO ATTACKS LEADERS OUT OF FRUSTRATION.
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“His Majesty, Nnaemeka Achebe, CFR, mni, Obi of Onitsha, by his position as traditional and natural ruler, should normally not engage publicly in high-level discourse on affairs of State between two of our highly respected national leaders, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR. However, the Palace deems it absolutely necessary to ensure that public statements relating to our monarch are factually correct. Accordingly, the Palace would like to state categorically that His Majesty was never involved in any sod-turning ceremony for the second River Niger Bridge during the first tenure of President Obasanjo as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and, therefore, could not have engaged in any altercation with the then President as stated in the above press release.
“The only involvement of His Majesty with President Obasanjo regarding the Second River Niger Bridge was at the very tail end of his second term as President during a low-keyed flag-off of the project when His Majesty prayed that the succeeding administration would construct the bridge expeditiously.
“Onitsha people will continue to express their utmost gratitude to President Buhari and his Government for successfully constructing the magnificent bridge.
“This is solely a statement of facts and nothing more or less.”
