Billionaire oil magnate, Prince Arthur Eze, has dismissed calls by Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige to banish him with 12 suspended traditional rulers in Anambra as uncalled for and inconsequential.

He described the comment by the former Governor as “ranting from an ant.”

Dismissing Ngige as unfit to serve in the current administration, which he described as the nation’s best, Eze, in a statement by his Media Directorate Head, Okpala Okechukwu, said one would have thought that anybody occupying the respectable office of a Minister would be articulate and deep in knowledge of contemporary issues in the orbit of partisan politics.

He said it was not proper for Ngige to call for banishment of traditional rulers whose only offence was going to Abuja to commend the President for the magnificent jobs he had done in the South-East.

“Dr Ngige as a Minister did not take time to study the underground colouration given to the trip for political reasons by the state government.

“Accepted is the fact that he has been involved in serious traditional leadership crisis in his community over the Igweship, but this should not becloud his sense of judgement to make calls that has no legal or constitutional backing.

“As a Minister, Dr Ngige ought to know that no section of the Nigerian constitution empowers a State Governor to banish or trample on the fundamental human rights of any Nigerian citizen as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.

“Any governor that attempts to heed to Dr Ngige’s call certainly should be taking an action that is against the letters and spirit of the Nigerian constitution.

“For Dr Ngige to call for the banishment of a man of Prince Engr Arthur Eze’s status not only in Nigeria but the entire world is, to say the least, most callous, derogatory and unbecoming of a Minister.”

Ngige, on Saturday, led a protest in the community and called on Governor Willie Obiano not to only suspend the 12 traditional rulers that visited Abuja recently without his permission but banish them from the State.

Ngige also said the banishment should equally be extended to Prince Arthur Eze that led them to see the President to serve as deterrence to others. (The Nation)

Update news