A report has been circulating since Friday, June 14, 2024, suggesting that I, Barr Austine C. Otuokere, a retired Permanentt Secretary, a Knight of the Anglican Church, a member of the Imo State Council of Elders, and some other respectable Imo leaders, notably, HRM Eze Dr. C.I Ilomuanya CON, former Chairman of the Imo State Traditional Rulers Council, Co-chairman of the Southern Nigeria Council of Traditional Rulers and current Chairman of the Imo State Elders Council; and HRM Eze Dr. E C. Okeke CFR, the current Chairman of the Imo State Traditional Rulers Council, threatened HRH Eze Thomas Obiefule over a purported communique stating that the traditional rulers of Orlu Zone were in support of Owerri Zone producing Governor Hope Uzodimma’s successor in 2027. The report was signed by Willie Amadi and one Amby Uneze.
Ordinarily, I would have ignored Willie Amadi and his fellow-traveller, but because the issue bothers on threats, and for purposes of clarity, I would like to state as follows:
1. I did not and had no reason whatsoever to threaten Eze Obiefule in any form.
2. Upon reading the poorly written communique that was advertised on the pages of some newspapers and on social media platforms with all the grammatical errors and disjointed arguments and receiving calls from well meaning Orlu Zone leaders as the Secretary of Orlu Development Forum, I respectfully placed calls to key traditional rulers in Orlu Zone, and all of them expressed shock and denial of the so called communique.
I then called HRH Eze Obiefule, who confirmed to me that he was aware of it (I don’t want to go into what I perceived to be his misgivings). It then dawned on me immediately that the old man had been scammed.
3. I say so because Eze Obiefule has unrestricted access to the governor and does not need a communique to advise His Excellency.
Again, he was hurried into this perfidy, making it impossible for him to consult his colleagues and leaders before going public even though he did not append his name on the draft.
4. I challenge Willie Amadi to produce and make public the audio clip he claimed he has of my telephone conversation with Eze Obiefule. If he does not, the public will know that Willie Amadi is not to be trusted.
5. Aside from the fact that the said communique was a political statement that is neither here nor there, there is nothing in it that is capable of worrying me to the extent of threatening our revered Traditional Ruler, Eze Thomas Obiefule (Okairuru).
6. It is unfortunate that Willie Amadi is behaving like a loose cannon over the 2027 governorship election even when the election is still far. His eratic and insolent attitude over the election did not start today. For example, in September 2023, Willie Amadi threatened us that Owerri youths would deal with and burn the houses of those who dare to present or support someone from Okigwe Zone or Orlu Zone for 2027 governorship election. This was even before the last governorship election was held on November 11, 2023, and in the presence of eminent Imo citizens like Barr Sir Abed Anyadike, Chief Kingsley Egbunine, Prof Chinedu Asinu Anosike (Cona) and HRM Eze Dr. C..I. Ilomuanya CON. He repeated the same threats in the circulating reports under reference, this time signed by him and one Amby Uneze.
7. It is worrisome that after the insecurity we suffered in Imo State largely for political reasons, Willie Amadi is threatening fire and brimstone over governorship election that is almost four years away.
8. I read panic; panic on industrial scale from Willie Amadi and Amby Uneze’s threat and unsubstantiated diatribe. They are terrified that their scam have been uncovered and are afraid of what is coming their way. I am not surprised at Willie’s resort to desperation. It looks like he has gone berserk over 2027 governorship election and his lack of any meaningful job.
9. It is on record that the governor gave Willie Amadi a huge responsibility by appointing him as his Chief Technical Adviser on Environment. What did he do with it? He bungled it and failed woefully, and the environment became so bad under his watch and brought shame to himself. The governor reviewed his abysmal performance and refused to reappoint him, and today, the environment is looking good under another person’s watch.
Since then, Willie Amadi has been running from pillar to post and may have ‘struck gold’ in the hands of an unsuspecting governorship aspirant from Awaka who thinks Amadi can chaperon him into governorship. Unfortunately, Willie Amadi has no job at the moment, and he is looking for phantom organizations, including imitating existing organizations to head. He created a phantom WhatsApp group, and many well-meaning individuals included in it have all exited. People are wondering why one Amby Unenze is still not smelling the coffee.
The Imo public may have observed that his usual online dinners at his so-called ‘Ajuzieogu Lodge’ has dried up, making him resort to political scavenging and making himself a laughing stock. No one takes Amadi seriously any longer. Very unfortunate indeed.
10. Doesn’t it look bizarre and suspicious that Willie Amadi and his sponsors who are from Owerri Zone are the ones raising the false alarm that illustrious leaders of Orlu Zone are threatening their brother?
Why must Owerri political scavengers be the ones now defending Eze Obiefule of Orlu Zone and, in the process, abusing leaders of Orlu Zone? Something doesn’t seem to add up here. Is this not desperation taken too far? You are now scaring Orlu leaders, telling us to go to hell, that you don’t need us in your governorship cloud chasing; that you will burn our properties in Owerri. We will wait and see, but don’t forget that if there will be any battle, it will be in Owerri.
11. For emphasis, why would Willie Amadi from Owerri be defending Eze Obiefule from Orlu? Does it mean that they have lost the argument over which zone should produce the governor’s successor? Does it mean that they are now panicking? Why would Willie Amadi be defending a traditional ruler from Orlu Zone?
12. This illogical and bizarre defence of Eze Obiefule by Willie Amadi is a clear indication that he was the author or the agent used in procuring the oluwole communique to scam Eze Obiefule.
As unfortunate as it is, procuring dented communiques from individuals or groups from Orlu Zone will not make Owerri Zone governor in 2027.
13. Willie Amadi should be courageous enough to deal with the fact that there is no law stopping Orlu people from contesting the governorship election in 2027. No law also stops Okigwe people from contesting the election. What Imo people are talking about is an arrangement that will make Owerri Zone produce the governor seamlessly under a charter of equity. But what baffles me is the volteface from Owerri Zone on the charter of equity. They never accepted the charter of equity in the first place and described it as Greek Gift before the last governorship election. They did nothing to show that they supported it because they believed that Samdadday could win the governorship election. Since Samdadday lost the election and went to court, these political scavengers have not written or procured any communique from individuals or groups calling on Samdadday to withdraw his case from the court and they never issued or procured any communique mobilizing Owerri Zone to vote massively for the governor in the governorship election of November 11, 2023.
Willie Amadi was busy quarelling over money and was busy sabbotaging the governor’s political interests in Owerri Zone. He should tell Imo people why APC is not representing his LGA, Owerri Municipal, in the state assembly.
14. While Willie Amadi pretends to love the governor, each time you ask him about Samdadday withdrawing his case from court, he would tell you that Samdadday is coming. Where lies his faith in the charter of equity? Where is his love for Governor Hope Uzodimma? Is he not a green snake hiding under green grass?
15. I am not unaware of the threats to my person in Willie’s reports, but it will be handled differently. However, there is a need to caution the propagators of the Owerri governorship to stop casting the governor in very bad lights, and they should stop blackmailing him over the 2027 governorship election that is almost four years away. The governor is a democrat and would not suo moto appoint someone from Owerri Zone to succeed him as governor. His successor must emerge from an election in which all of us and our constituents should participate. The governor will not unlawfully foist just any person from Owerri Zone on us, even if that person is a lunatic – just to please Willie Amadi.
16. It is important to address our minds to the fact that no bragadocio, overt and covert threats, and high horse mentality will fetch Willie Amadi the governorship he so much desires to fund his bizarre lifestyle. There is no need to try to coerce anyone to support his candidate. He should focus more on putting the Owerri house in order and source for political partnerships instead of looking for whom to vilify for not supporting his daydreams.
17. May I remind the bullies that I am a civil and well-behaved Imo indigene, a senior citizen of Nigeria, as well as a qualified legal practitioner. While I can’t resort to threats or violence, I will not fall for their cheap threats as well. We are waiting for Willie Amadi’s claimed telephone conversation tape. The dice is cast.
Sir Austine C. Otuokere Esq.
