By Charles Igbo
The Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers is angry. It is angry over a congratulatory message placed on its behalf for Senator Ifeanyi Ararume.
The Council says the message is fake. And that it placed no congratulatory message for the Senator.
Trouble started when a local newspaper in Owerri, Frontline Express Newspaper, carried a full back page congratulatory message purportedly placed for Ararume by the Council on his appointment as the Chairman of the newly incorporated Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC) Ltd, by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Ordinarily, it would have been overlooked, even as it is a criminal offence. But the appointment of Ararume as the Chairman has been so politicised, especially, by the opposition that one would think the President deliberately set him up against Governor Hope Uzodimma. Or that he was appointed to spite the Governor.
Both men are in opposing camps of their party, the All Progressives Congress, APC. Ararume and former Governor Rochas Okorocha are in same camp. Till date, none of them, as well as their followers, revalidated their membership of the Party.
In fact, those in Ararume and Okorocha’s camp, and the opposition parties, gave the impression that Buhari had dumped Uzodimma for Ararume, especially, as the appointment came some days after Buhari’s visit to Imo State which they tried to discredit and rubbish.
It is based on this politicisation that the Council of Traditional Rulers was outraged that it was being drawn into it by a forged Congratulatory message to Ararume where it also thanked Mr President for appointing a worthy son of the State to the position.
In a strongly-worded statement signed by Chief Greg Obioha on behalf of the Chairman of the Council, the Council said that in as much as it was happy over Ararume’s appointment, it never placed any congratulatory message in the Frontline Express Newspaper, or any other newspaper for that matter.
Based on this, the Council says it demands a full apology for, and a retraction of, the offensive publication.
Following is the full text of the statement.
RE -IMO STATE COUNCIL OF TRADITIONAL RULERS, THANK YOU MR PRESIDENT —A REJOINDER
“The attention of Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers has been drawn to an advertorial placed on the back page of Friday, 8th October 2021edition of Frontline Express Newspaper with the above caption and name of the Traditional Institution purportedly conveying a Congratulatory message to Senator Ifeanyi Ararume on his new appointment as Chairman of the Board of newly constituted Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd and as well thanking the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for according such honour to the people of Imo State cum Southeast through the appointment.It is pertinent to state that inasmuch as the leadership and the entire traditional Rulers in the state are not against the appointment of Senator Ifeanyi Ararume as the Board Chairman of the federal government Agency.
“However, we wish to make it absolutely clear that the said advertorial/Congratulatory message did not emanate from us and neither did we at anytime authorize the publisher or anyone to place such publication on our behalf.
“The Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers is totally embarrassed with the publication, and views it as an act of callousness and outright display of disrespect to the Royal Fathers who are not politicians and would not like to be dragged into politics by mischief makers.
“The Council, therefore, wishes to use this medium to condemn the act and further demand a retraction and unreserved apology from the Frontline Newspaper which must be published in two editions of their newspaper between Monday 11th October,2021 and Friday 15th October, 2021, and failure to comply as stated would attract appropriate/ necessary legal action.
“We further warn that this should not repeat itself.”
