Enugu APC Stakeholders Condemn Undue Affronts On Onyeama By Factional Chairman

Amidst the ongoing crisis within the All Progressive Congress in Enugu state, media personality and APC, Enugu Deputy Governorship Candidate, Amb. Ginika Tor Williams has expressed complete dissatisfaction in the continuous attack by the factional Chairman of APC in Enugu state Mr. Ben Nwoye against the honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Geoffrey Onyeama.

She expressed displeasure via a press statement alleging the way and manner Ben Nwoye’s actions in recent times may be geared at jeopardizing the unity and structure of the party in Enugu state.

Amb. Tor Williams, noted that the sponsored attacks believed to have been okayed by Nwoye through one Nwajoku Okugo alleging that the Hon. Minister has tested positive to the Covid19 virus and visited Enugu state to spread the virus was defamatory, wicked and treacherous.

She noted that Nwoye who was acting as the Chairman of the Party in the state is practically unfit to hold such office, because he lacks the temperament required to lead the party to a positive direction.

She further stated that Nwoye has capitalized on the gentle nature of Hon. Onyeama by way of insults at every slight opportunity, undermining his efforts to build peace and unity in Enugu APC. She, therefore, called on the National Executive Council of the Party to caution Mr. Nwoye to desist from activities like sponsorship of propaganda news against Hon. Geoffrey, unguided verbal attacks and public alterations that ridicules his integrity and personality.

Recall that a reaction on the social media credited to Ben Nwoye accused the Minister of Foreign Affairs to be responsible for the detention of one Prince Nwanjoku James Okugo, at Police station over his false report that Mr. Onyeama tested positive to coronavirus disease. Nwoye while briefing press on Saturday, April 4, in Enugu further accused the Foreign affairs minister of intimidating party members in the state using his position, instead of supporting the building of the party in Enugu state.

Amb. Tor Williams also highlighted some unpatriotic activities of Nwoye, with regards to his alleged relationship with the Peoples Democratic Party in the state. She revealed that Nwoye has been a loyalist of PDP disguised as an APC member. She also stated that on the day of Presidential Inauguration, Nwoye avoided leading Enugu team to attend the President’s inauguration but was rather spotted at the Governor’s Inauguration in Enugu while the case between APC vs PDP was still in court.

She expressed that it was the height of irresponsibility on the part of Ben Nwoye and his cohorts, stressing that it was time to put a stop to his act of insubordination.
She also noted that the party cannot continue to look the other way when their leader’s name and reputation are constantly being tarnished.
“I am of the opinion that James Akugo should be made to face the music and answer for his crimes for tarnishing the reputation of a high ranking Federal Government Official because he must have weighed the consequences of his actions before doing that. This factional politics by Nwoye and his group has been taken too far and must be stopped,” says Williams.

She applauded Onyeama’s efforts in promoting the next level agenda of President Buhari, as she commended his humble and focused pragmatism both at state and national level.

Meanwhile, the personal assistant to the minister, Flavour Eze, has exonerated his principal from the travails of Mr Okugo.
Mr Eze in a statement said he was the one who wrote to the police because Mr Okugo in the said social media post also allegedly defamed his person. He said he wrote in his personal capacity as a Nigerian who deserves justice.

“My attention has been drawn to the attempt by Mr. Ben Nwoye, a supposed Chairman of the Enugu State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to politicise a case that I reported to the police against one Nwanjoku James Okugo, who criminally defamed me through various publications in social and print media”

“The said Nwanjoku, a close associate of Ben Nwoye, alleged that the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama and I; Chief Flavour Eze, his Personal Assistant, were the two persons who tested positive for the Covid-19 virus and had gone to Enugu with the deliberate intention of spreading the disease in the state. He further called on the Government of the State to arrest us”.

Mr Eze said the sole intention of the allegations “was to cause widespread alarm and panic in the state and endanger the lives of the minister and myself by inciting hatred against us through demonization.”

“I, in my personal capacity, reported the matter to the Nigerian Police after the period given to the author of the article to retract the malicious write-up had elapsed. The police have since swung into action; arrested the suspect and are currently making progress in their investigation.

“My candid advice to them is to face the case with the police and stop looking for scapegoats.

“Meanwhile, I am not unaware of the role of Mr. Ben Nwoye, the boss of Nwanjoku in the whole affair,” Eze said.

An APC chieftain in the State, Adaku Ogbu-Aguocha, also condemned the continuous attack on the minister.
Ogbu-Aguocha, who was the Enugu East Senatorial candidate of APC in the 2019 general election, argued that the minister had no hand in the arrest.

“The arrest of Mr Nwanjoku was as a result of a petition by a member of the party to the Inspector General of Police and it has nothing to do with the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Although the minister has come under attack from forces within the party in the state; and as a perfect gentleman, he has always remained unperturbed with grace,” she said

She further stated that, “People cannot hide under the cover of social media, maliciously concoct and spread fictitious stories that has no bases and publish same to malign the image and integrity of our leaders, then turn around to cry ‘intimidation.’ Mr. Nwanjoku and his sponsors should face the consequences of their fake news peddling and leave Mr Onyeama out of it. Nigerians know that the Honorable Minister is a man of outstanding character and integrity and cannot be distracted from the excellent service he has been providing for the nation and Mr. President,” She said.

Another APC Chieftain, Hon. Ejike Njeze in his reaction said ”In my candid opinion, It is actually overdue for the NWC to call Nwoye to order over his continued unwarranted attacks and unabated insults on the person of Hon Minister of Foreign Affairs who is the Leader of our great party (APC) in Enugu state.
“Notwithstanding the Minister’s calm and gentle nature, It is totally unacceptable and highly condemnable for a supposed State Party chairman to occupy himself seizing every single window of opportunity he gets to defame and malign the Leader of our great party in the person of the Honourable Minister of foreign affairs for no reason. This unholy and treacherous behaviour has to stop. I must also commend the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs for his consistent demonstration of maturity and exemplary leadership by always keeping his cool even in the face of the most unwarranted provocation. The party hierarchy must wade in now and end this mess in the party,” says Njeze.

In his reaction, Comrade Udeh who was the pioneer deputy chairman of APC in Enugu State, stated that it was Chief Ben Nwoye who traded the fortunes of the party in Enugu State. Udeh described the detained Nwanjoku as a man working for Chief Ben Nwoye, that the arm of the law will soon descend on him.

Another APC chieftain in Enugu state Elder El Ajah also added that he has an outstanding issues bordering on malicious damage to his private life against Prince Nwanjoku based upon which he was arrested by the police, thereby exonerating the Foreign affairs minister from the present predicament of Prince Nwanjoku.