Ishiuba Reacts Over N12M Allegation: Describes it as Insult

The Eze-elect of Ndegwu community, Chief Nicholas Ishiuba Ojinaka ,former Managing Director of Guinea Insurance Ltd has described as an insult ,false ,baseless and unfounded claims by a recent online publications alleging he spent 12 million naira in pursuit of the autonomy of his community.

Chief Ojinaka chatting with some journalists in Owerri on Sunday expressed shock at such falsehood peddled by some of the media outfits who he said he declined their blackmail advances.

To set the record straight,Chief Ojinaka affirmed that the he never made himself the Eze-elect of Ndegwu but won convincingly in an election supervised by the Imo State Independent Electoral (ISIEC) Commissioner, Charles Ohiri and the Chief of Staff to the Owerri West Local Government ,Mr Oliver Emeyonu who led other members of the council to the election on November 5 , 2022.

Moreover, he said that the Eze’s cabinet of Orogwe Community which Ndegwu has been under as a result of its botched elections in the past had a representative led by barrister Ken Charles as well as other stakeholders from the two communities.

Even after the election, the current council chairman of Owerri West, Engr. Victor Osigwe who was the Sole Administrator of the council then received Chief Ojinaka and and well over five hundred jubilant people from the community in his office where he was presented as the winner of the election which paved way for his declaration as the Eze-elect of Ndegwu.

Prior to his visit to the council for recognition,Chief Ojinaka said he was also presented with a certificate of recognition by the electoral team as a winner of the election.

“Why are they talking of 12 million naira,what is it for, it’s an insult to me, this is what I give out as assistance to the less privileged in the society but I never spent a dime when I was contesting the election , my people believed in me and voted for me,there was no disagreement, no quarrel after the election, why are they laying claims to what never happened.

“Ordinarily I wouldn’t have joined issues with them because the so called stakeholders who two of them Samson Ogbos and Ikechukwu Akowunobi were candidates in the election from Umuogwuta,they were aggrieved because I won, and these nine people from the same village have been the only voices from the five villages of Ndegwu kicking against my victory.

“They have been writing so many frivolous petitions after the election, we signed not to contest the result in court and they never went to the State Assembly after the election but now remembered to go there after two years the election was held.

” The election had three contestants from a village and these three contestants are part of the nine people who call themselves “Concerned citizens of Ndegwu ” parading as the stakeholders of the community.

” So once again I urged the good people of my community, members of the public to ignore the fallacious allegations by the so called stakeholders of the community, I’ve appealed to them after the election to embrace peace for the development of Ndegwu but they have refused to accept my open arms”. Chief Ojinaka said.

Meanwhile leaders of the community have passed a confident vote on Chief Ojinaka who they have insisted remains their Eze-elect while waiting for his official recognition by the State government.

President General of the Community, Oluchukwu Iroegbulam speaking separately on the issue said the whole community is happy with Chief Ojinaka as their Eze-elect.

“I personally was there as the President General ,there were four contestants and at the end of the election, Chief Ojinaka won , we also followed him to the Owerri Local Government where he was received by the then Sole Administrator, honourable Victor Osigwe who by the grace of God is our substantives chairman today.

Also speaking, an elder of the community, Christopher Akunyunlam corroborated the statements of Iroegbulam. ” Why won’t he answer Eze-elect,somebody who won an election into such a position for the community in a fair and open contest .

“As an elder,we can’t but say the truth ,Chief Ojinaka won the election at the full glare of the five villages that makes up Ndegwu and before the government officials that were there.”

In another development, Chief Ojinaka has been summoned by the House Committee on Local Government matters of the State Assembly, he has been asked to appear before the house on October,9 to clear the allegations by the Ndegwu stakeholders that he spent 12 million naira seeking the autonomy of his community.

Meanwhile, Ojinaka received a heroic reception by members of his community on Saturday on his return from the United States of America where he has been on vacation for some months.

Jubilant indigenes of the community comprising women ,youth elders and children turned out in large numbers to welcome him.

Addressing members of the community shortly at the premises of Ojinaka,Local Government Chairman of Owerri West,Victor Osigwe who was accompanied by his Chief of Staff and Council’s All Progressive Congress Chairman (APC) vowed to continue supporting Ndegwu in its quest for development.

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