Tobias Sylvester
Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari warned billionaire oil magnate, Prince Arthur Eze, against fighting the state governor, Willie Obiano.
Adinuba said Buhari gave the warning at the weekend when Eze visited him after the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, held a private meeting with the President where he briefed him (Buhari) on the situation in the state.
Eze has of late been having issues with Obiano over the location of the newly created police zonal command covering Ebonyi, Enugu and Anambra states.
The governor had demanded that the police command should be located in the state capital, as in every other zone, but Eze insisted that it should be located in his native town, Ukpo.
We learnt that Eze had gone to the Presidential Villa in Abuja with 13 traditional rulers from Anambra to meet Buhari and use the opportunity to discuss events in the state and to discredit Obiano, but the President was said to have declined to grant them audience.
Adinuba said after Eze left with the traditional rulers, President Buhari called the oil magnet to go and reconcile with Governor Obiano rather than continue to disagree with him. Quoting a source in the National Security Adviser (NSA’s) office, Adinuba said:
“The President’s attitude may have been influenced by the strong opposition to the planned traditional rulers’ visit by appointees in the Buhari administration from the South East led by Ngige, who regarded the visit as an affront on Igbo people.
“This is because wealthy people from other parts of the country do not assemble their monarchs to go to Abuja and insult their state governors over issues that should be treated as a family affair and handled at the state level,” the source said.
Continuing, the source said President Buhari told Eze that Governor Obiano was doing well in Anambra and had been supporting the Federal Government in key projects like building of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Mausoleum in Onitsha, the Second Niger Bridge and reconstruction of failed roads across the state.
“Buhari told Eze to go and reconcile with him as soon as possible. I don’t want man-made problems in that state. I consider you a friend and that is why I allowed you here. I can’t see the traditional rulers you brought, as some of them have security and personal credibility questions,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, KanyiDaily had reported that Governor Obiano’s chief security aide was stabbed to death with a kitchen knife inside his residence in Anambra.
