Members of the Enugu North Senatorial Zone have called, Senator Chukwuka Utazi not to apologise again to Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.
Senators Ubah and Utazi were on Tuesday, 14, July, locked in a shouting match during the Senate plenary over disparaging comments made by some Nigerians over Innoson Vehicles chief executive, Chief Innocent Chukwuma.
Trouble started when Senator Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu North), at the beginning of Senate plenary, came up with a point of order to draw the attention of senators to alleged disparaging comments on social media by some Nigerians against the Managing Director of Innoson Vehicles, Chief Innocent Chukwuma.
The report claimed that Sen. Ubah kicked against senators purchasing official vehicles from Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM).
Utazi, who came under order 43 of the Senate Standing Orders as Amended, which has to do with self-explanation, however, alleged that there were orchestrated attempts by some Nigerians to run down the Innoson MD.
But, his comments did not go down well with, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah,(YPP Anambra South), as he immediately, tackled Senator Utazi which resulted in shouting match for over 10 minutes.
Consequently, Utazi apologised in two separate letters he wrote to Senator Ubah, on July 14 and 16 but were however, rejected.
Sen. Ubah in his rejection letter which had gone viral, described the incident as “unfortunate and sad” as the Sen. Utazi was unable to produce any evidence to prove that the alleged incident to demarket IVM occurred.
He urged Sen. Utazi to apologize and inform Nigerians that he erred by bringing an unverified social media rumour to the floor of the Senate.
But briefing journalists in Enugu, the Utazi’s constituents asked him not to apologise to Ubah again, describing the rejection of his first and second apology as an insult which they saw was against the Igbo custom and tradition.
Hon Chidera Nwodo, who spoke on behalf of the constituents queried why Sen. Ubah should refused the apology while demanding for a third one.
“If not for anything, Senator Chukwuka Utazi is a senior to Senator Ubah both in age and years in senate.
“Even if Utazi has erred, Ubah has no right to demand for his apology under our custom and tradition as his elder,” he maintained.
