Nothing Wrong in Eze’s Car Gift, Abuja Trip – Suspended Anambra Monarch
Anambra state
Suspended traditional ruler of Abacha in Idemili North Council of Anambra State, Igwe Godwin Mbakwe, who went to Abuja with billionaire businessman, Arthur Eze, to see President Muhammadu Buhari and allegedly got a Lexus S470 Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), has said there is nothing strange in the gift.
Mbakwe spoke to newsmen in his palace yesterday, on the heels of a protest by some of his subjects led by Mr. Ifeanyi Okeke over his trip to Abuja with the mogul.
According to him, there is nothing wrong accompanying Eze to Abuja, based on his request that his friends should accompany him to see Buhari to express appreciation for what he has done in the South East.
“He (Eze) is a renowned philanthropist and nobody can take that away from him. He gave each of us a Lexus S470 ‘jeep’ and we thanked him,” the monarch said, advising those who were not privileged to go with them to resign to fate.
“When these people took over and claimed that the former governor (Peter Obi) did not leave any money, contrary to Obi’s claim that he left N75 billion for his successor, Eze allegedly gave $1 million and millions of naira to some persons in government. He did that as an Igbo man irrespective of the status, place of origin, gender or religion of the person. The assistance is what keeps him alive,” he added.
Dismissing the insinuation that the Minster of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, was instrumental in the difficulty they encountered before seeing the president, Mbakwe blamed Buhari’s meeting with Northern governors, who eventually rebooked appointment with the Chief of Staff to the President.
The monarch from Umudisi bloc said his traducers mainly from Umuazu section of Akanator bloc, who had wished he never benefitted from the car gift, masterminded the protest, alleging that they were looking for false charges to implicate and dethrone him.
Abacha community, like Enugwu-Ukwu and Obosi, takes after Nri culture that is devoid Ofala, but Iguaro popularly called Iwaji (New Yam festival) to thank God for bumper harvest, he noted.
