The Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Nnaemeka Achebe, has denied ever engaging in any altercation with former President Olusegun Obasanjo when the latter was in office over the Second Niger Bridge project.
The prominent monarch was reacting to a statement issued by the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Monday, wherein he claimed that when Obasanjo “sought re-election for his second term in office, he returned to the site (Second Niger Bridge) 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 South-East traditional ruler that he was a liar, in the full presence of the Chiefs and Oracles in his palace.”
But, the Palace of the traditional ruler in a statement signed by his chief of staff, Chinyelugo Osita Anionwu, on Tuesday, said the scene painted by the presidential media aide was non-existent and non-factual, adding that the only time the Obi of Onitsha was involved with Obasanjo regarding the Second River Niger Bridge was at the very tail end of his second term in office as President during a low-keyed flag-off of the project.
“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.
“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 Muhammad 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 Obasanio 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,” Anionwu stated.
