The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Peter Obi on Media and Publicity, Mr. Valentine Obienyem has appealed to the former National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh to mind his business and stop bringing him into a controversy he knows nothing about. Obienyem was reacting yesterday at Enugu Airport to the allegation by Chief Victor Umeh which appeared in many newspapers that he was the source of the story accusing him of wishing that the Arik plane carrying Governor Peter Obi, which ran into troubled weather on Tuesday, crashed as a means by which God would teach politicians the transient nature of earthly powers.
Obienyem described as beyond explanation, the linking of his name to the story, moreso, when, according to him, the The News Express, an INTERNET publication that broke the news did not hide their identity.”I do not know the origin of the news nor do I know the publisher of the paper to ascribe it to me. I recall that the publisher, perhaps an expert in investigative journalism, got my number from sources I do not know and called me repeatedly to confirm the news. When I could not pick, he sent a text message to me, which I have not deleted from my phone, bringing my attention to the news and seeking my reaction. I replied him that I had not seen nor read about the news and that I believe Chief Victor Umeh would not make such a statement even when it is not beyond him to nurse such a wish. He insisted on the credibility of his source and I merely appealed to him to leave me out of the saga,” Obienyem said.
Describing Umeh’s statement as “unfortunate,” Obienyem said that Umeh’s life lately had shown the dangers inherent among those that see politics as an occupation rather than a vocation, insisting that the dead wish, which those present had confirmed as truth, shows Umeh as one of those who can do anything for the sake of politics. In Obienyem’s words: “While he is denying that he did not make the statement, the INTERNET newspaper, News Express, that reported it made further inquiry as far as reaching those that were present where he made the statement, reaching them, whereupon they confirmed it. He should be telling us that it was merely a wish he had hoped to keep within him, which some unknown forces that took control of him made him to voice out rather than a denial lacking in conviction and full of mentioning of names of innocent people.
On the next line of action, Obienyem said he had already given the papers to his lawyer to study for the possibility of taking Umeh to Court. He says: “Rather than put forward rational argument such as pleading alibi, may be prove that he did not go to Chief Arthur Eze’s house where he was said to have made the statement and on the day alleged or that he was not in the country, or that he does not know or have not met the duo of Chief Ben Obi and Muoneke that collaborated the story, he, utterly frustrated, extended his dangerous obsession for Obi who, busy with the project of developing Anambra and has refused to answer to his often childish quips, to his aides. Very soon he will start venting his frustration on primary school pupils because they sing Obi’s praises for the good work he is doing in Anambra State.”
Concluding, Obienyem said it was interesting to see how Victor Umeh’s accusation went viral on net among many sites he said were owned and operated by or for Victor Umeh.
