By VICTOR AJIHROMANUS

Chief Emeka Ojukwu Jnr., son of the late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, yesterday, carpeted his father’s wife, Bianca, for allegedly ‘misleading’ the public with “falsehood” in an interview she granted to Sunday Sun last weekend.

Ojukwu Jnr. also attacked the former Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain for deriding the Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano, whom she said had not honoured her husband; but instead, uses his name and pictures for political gains.

Emeka, a former Nnewi North Local Government chairman, in a statement made available to newsmen, said that he would have “taken a pass on the insinuations, innuendos and outright falsehoods made in the interview but from the perspective of an insider, decided to present the truth so as to preserve and protect the ideals that his late late father and mentor held sacred. He equally said the truth he is presenting will preserve the good name of Anambra State Governor , Chief Willie Obiano and the reputation of APGA, the party his father bequeathed to Ndigbo and beyond.

The statement by Chief Emeka Ojukwu Jnr made available to newsmen entitled RE:- BIANCA OPENS UP: WHAT OJUKWU TOLD ME ABOUT BIAFRA, NIGERIA; RIGHT OF REPLY,’ read in part : ‘I would have taken a pass on the insinuations, innuendos and outright falsehoods made in the interview in reference granted to Magnus Eze of the Sun Newspapers on the 29th of November, 2020. However, I find it exigent from the perspective of an insider, to present the truth so as to preserve and protect the ideals that my late father and mentor held sacred, the good name of H.E. Governor Obiano and the reputation of the Party my father bequeathed to us’.

‘Given his standing by birth, heritage, disposition and calling, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu never shied away from fully expressing his feelings, observations and apprehensions. Having trained first as a historian at Oxford University, I find it difficult to accept that he would resort to oral history with all the known attendant pitfalls. As a matter of fact, he documented his views concerning Biafra and Nigeria in books and live interviews for ease of reference. Any attempt therefore, to recast or present his views regarding Biafra or Nigeria without proper references should be considered dead on arrival’.

‘Claims therefore of what the legend told or did not tell the claimant about Biafra/Nigeria, should be regarded as the views of the said claimant, in pursuit of what, I don’t know’.

‘I do not need to be tutored in the proclivities, idiosyncrasies and mannerisms of my late father. As such, I therefore, make bold to state without fear of contradiction that the Dikedioranma Ndigbo I know, never equivocated. If he had something worthwhile to say on a subject, he would have stated it on record and not passed it through any intermediary. He took the challenges of life with equanimity and the brinksmanship that comes with the discipline of elite military training. Having worked for many years closely with Governor Obiano, I can, with the same level of confidence, state unequivocally, that he did not and would not make the disparaging and false statements towards my late father, attributed to him in that article. If you have occasion to speak to him directly, he would confirm the same’.

‘Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu out of altruism and with respect to the love he had for Ndigbo, donated pro bono his identity and image to the All Progressives Grand Alliance for perpetual appropriation and usage. His image remains till date, the oxygen that powers the ideals of APGA. It is therefore preposterous for somebody out there to insinuate that the APGA National Leader and Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano would contemplate and entertain discussion on disconnecting the Party from its lifeline with the claimant of all people. Where? How? When?’.

The statement further stated: ‘Governor Willie Obiano and the National Chairman of APGA, Ozonkpu Victor Oye, can not suddenly wake up as students, taking lessons on the ideals of the political party they hold dear and in trust for Ndigbo from the claimant. After six years plus on the saddle as governor, Chief Willie Obiano is in a position to be teaching party ideals not learning about them’.

‘What I see playing out is frustration occasioned by the reckless, unrestrained, disrespectful expectations of persons who take delight to pontificate on matters about which they know next to nothing. It is most uncharitable to opine that His Excellency Governor Willie Obiano is the leader of a party whose, and I quote: “founding principles, ideology and history he knows next to nothing about”. My humble self as a BOT member and APGA faithful at large are appalled at such false utterances’.

‘Respect and honor must be accorded to whom it is due. If you insist on not respecting the man, respect the office! A governor who among other giant strides, boldly celebrated the posthumous burial rites of all those who lost their lives during the civil war to lay the matter to final rest, deserves commendation not vilification’.

‘In my over half a century in this earth and many years of political life, I understand that sometimes political expediency leads to provocative statements directed at ones perceived antagonists, but to turn November 26th, a date which brings us both, great sorrow for an immeasurable loss, and great pride as we remember a life well lived in heroic defense of a people, into a yearly opportunity to vent and castigate others in order to assuage a personal wound, is to dishonor the man we should be celebrating’. (Vanguard)

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