The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Peter
Obi, Mr. Valentine Obienyem has described as a piece of blackmail, the
statement credited to Chief Victor Umeh accusing his boss of trying to destroy
the judiciary.
Obienyem who spoke with newsmen at the outing service by the family of Prof.
Chinua Achebe at St. Philip’s Anglican Church, Ogidi yesterday resisted all
attempts by journalists to speak directly to his boss on the reason that only
an idle mind would have time to respond to what he called “lies, unguarded
uttrances and distortions coming from the mouth of Chief Victor Umeh.” in
his words: ” Gentlemen, in Nigeria today, Chief Victor Umeh’s name has
become a byword for garrulity. Since he has no job and depends on political
hatchet job for survival for which we know who is calling the tunes he plays
today, we understand that people like him thrive in confusion and that explains
what he does today.”
Obienyem wondered why whenever chief Umeh has case in court, he tries to
blackmail the judiciary for reasons only himself knows. “Much as we are
not disturbed by his penchant for blackmail, he should desist from bringing
Gov. Peter Obi into that to make his rantings attract the attention they do not
deserve, much as one does not know what will happen in court today, but while
has it become a culture for Umeh to commend the judiciary whenever judgement or
ruling favoured him; condemn her with blackmail when against him; and frighten
them through blackmail when judgement or ruling is pending,” Obienyem said.
On the contentious subject matter, the accusation of his boss of trying to
pervert justice, Obienyem said he was aware of the meeting at which they
decided to put the falsehood in the papers to frighten the judge. His words:
“As a matter of fact, I received text message yesterday from somebody who
told me of efforts to get the blackmail published in newspapers at heavy
monetary consideration and how many editors turned it down as infantile typical
of Umeh.”
Contending that Gov. Obi is busy repairing Anambra beyond compare, Obienyem
said he did not have enough time to attend to numerous state and national
matters he was saddled with to have time for the likes of Umeh and would not
reply to his rantings for all the teas in China.
“Is it because of politics that somebody like Victor, who was only but a
Personal Assistant/driver to Chief Okonkwor (Ofiadulu), should speak
disrespectfully about everybody, including his Governor? His case has become
that of a child uttering forbidden words against the elder under the guise of
wisdom”, Obienyem submitted.
