By Emmanuel Mbadiegwu
On Wednesday 11th March 2025, a junk write-up targeted at distorting facts and desperately trying to impugn the hard-earned integrity and reputation of Engr. Augustine Chinedu Emelobe, the Oba people’s choice for the Igwe and Eze Okpoko II traditional stool whose election is coming up on Saturday 15th March, 2024, surfaced online.
The write up which reeks of jaundiced fabrications, nuances, innuendos, outright lies and barefaced falsehood tried in vain to tar Engr. Emelobe with the brush of blemishes and sought to dress him in a strange garb and thus discredit him in the public eye and the perception of the Anambra State Government.
But any discerning mind who could read between the lines and who has followed the trend of events since the commencement of the Oba Igweship selection/election process would not be surprised on why the write-up surfaced at this time.
Such discerning minds also know that the gibberish followed a similar pattern and trend. It is the handiwork of the six greedy individuals from Oba, who for personal gains and selfish interests have tried their possible best to truncate the collective will of Oba people to elect a traditional ruler of their choice.
They have used various means like false propaganda, threats, frivolous petitions, financial inducements and time-wasting lawsuits to achieve their goal but like in the inimitable Victor Hugo’s quote: “no power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come”, they continue to fail in their antics and inordinate plots.
This latest plot of using a fictitious pen name of Imo Jonathan to concoct lies can be described as another desperation taken too far. It is ridiculous, demeaning and speaks a lot about the character of the desperadoes behind the shameful acts.
Ordinarily, one is tempted to totally ignore the six monkey hands in Oba and maintain a dignified silence over their false allegations but knowing that maintaining silence could be misconstrued to mean acquiescence to their lies it, therefore, becomes necessary to state the truth hereunder:
Engr. Augustine Chinedu Emelobe is not undergoing any trial anywhere for economic crimes. He has no criminal records or case(s) trailing him and neither was he ever indicted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). This labelling and crude manufacturing of non-existent issues is the height of desperation and only exists in the figment of the imagination of the six shameless characters.
The only “plethora” of lawsuits and court injunctions as they stated that ever connected Engr. Emelobe were the various litigations the same characters invented and initiated to thwart the will and wish of the Oba people in the journey to the election of their choice candidate for Igwe and Eze Okpoko of Oba. To the glory of God, however, their man-made obstacles and bottlenecks have continued to collapse like a pack of badly arranged cards. Thankfully too, they were gracious enough to address Engr. Emelobe as the “foremost” candidate contesting the highly revered traditional stool of Oba
The delay in electing a new traditional ruler for Oba, seven years after the demise of the erstwhile Igwe and Eze Okpoko is traced to the same hurdles created by the same six monkey hands, including a prince, who have exploited this vacancy on the throne for their selfish advantage and would even want such situation to remain ad infinitum. However, Oba people have since identified the best among them who is fit for the throne in the person of Engr. Emelobe. All the clandestine plots and fabrications by the well-known six monkey hands will come to naught on Saturday March 15th 2025 when, in obedience to the directives of the Anambra State Governor, the people of Oba will troop out to choose their next Igwe and Eze Okpoko in full view of all and sundry, including Government Observers.
Twisting the facts on the issue of the Oba Microfinance Bank loan simply exposes the hollowness of the six desperadoes behind these distractions. The truth is that there was nothing like N100 million-naira loan from the bank to Engr. Emelobe. Rather it was Engr. Emelobe through his company, Northbridge Energy Limited, that assisted the bank to remain afloat during the COVID-19 era by accepting the investment request from the then Managing Director of the Bank and two other Directors for N100 million at 20% interest rate at a time commercial banks were offering 5% and 3% interest for treasury bills. Northbridge Energy Limited accepted this investment of N100 million to assist the Bank to meet up with their overhead costs. At maturity, Northbridge Energy Limited repaid Oba Microfinance Bank the sum of N120 million for principal and interest in this arm’s length transaction. It should be pointed out that it was the greed of one of the Directors of the Bank (the one who parades himself as prince and, who is the highest beneficiary of a prolonged delay in electing a substantive Igwe and Eze Okpoko of Oba), who demanded that Northbridge Energy Limited pay him the sum of N5 million naira out of the N20 million naira due to the Bank as interest, a demand that was rightly blocked by Engr. Emelobe. The refusal to pay this N5 million naira is what led the prince to write a petition on the matter to the EFCC who, after investigation cleared Engr. Emelobe and Northbridge Energy of any wrongdoing in the transaction.
The hatchet writer, Imo Jonathan, also alleged that Engr. Emelobe was indicted by the EFCC and the FIRS for tax evasion and that he has been in hiding ever since. This barefaced lie can never stand in the face of truth at all. Ever since the journey to the Igwe and Eze Okpoko throne began, Engr. Emelobe has always been available and was never in hiding. He is loved passionately by Oba people, and he has always made himself accessible to Oba people unlike the prince who spends over 90% of his time in faraway USA. It is the prince and his accomplices who currently feast on the collective patrimony of Oba people and, who now feel threatened by the inevitable ascendancy to the throne by Engr. Emelobe that orchestrated yet another petition to EFCC in September 2024, alleging tax evasion among others. Engr. Emelobe again honoured the invitation by the EFCC and, after presenting documentary evidence of his income tax payments and clearance from FIRS, was cleared of any wrongdoing, as alleged.
Engr. Emelobe who is a first-class graduate of University of Benin had a brilliant career at Chevron Nigeria where he retired voluntarily in 2015 as General Manager, after 25 years of meritorious service. This is contrary to the tissue of lies by the prince and his hatchet writer, Imo Jonathan that Engr. Emelobe “was forced to resign after an indictment”. The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Chevron Nigeria Ltd had confirmed earlier vide a letter dated October 10th 2024, to the President General, Oba Patriotic Union (OPU) that Engr. Emelobe had an impeccable career at Chevron and, retired voluntarily and meritoriously in 2015. There was, therefore, no indictment of Engr. Emelobe at Chevron Nigeria nor was he ever forced to resign.
In what can be best described as the last kick of a dying horse, this jaundiced article also alleged that the Anambra State Government had earlier halted the process of Igweship selection citing “several breach of due process”, including Engr. Emelobe’s non membership of the Ozo Society of Oba. What a watery allegation! Ozo title membership is not a hidden thing in Igboland and Oba because the initiation takes place in the open while the Society knows their own. Consequently, the Otu Nze n’Ozo Society of Oba has confirmed in writing that Engr. Emelobe is a full-fledged member and certified Ozo title holder in Oba. The Society also confirmed their belief that if Engr. Emelobe emerges as the Igwe and Eze Okpoko II of Oba, he will uphold the customs and traditions of Oba.
Let it be stated here that the prince and the other selfish individuals behind these devilish articles, schemes, shenanigans and propaganda are enemies of progress in Oba. They are those who had prospered due to the vacuum in the throne and, who are afraid that Engr. Emelobe, if he ascends the throne, will block all the avenues through which they are presently milking the resources of Oba. They are land thieves who represent everything negative in Oba. This latest action of theirs has already fallen flat in the face of any discerning mind who has been following developments in Oba community.
Thankfully, the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo is not one who is easily swayed by sentiments, falsehood and window dressing. And he has wisely directed that the Oba Igweship election be held on Saturday March 15th 2025 in full view of Government and other Observers.
In conclusion, Engr. Augustine C. Emelobe has no pending case with the EFCC. He was never indicted or sacked at his last place of employment, nor did he dodge tax payment as alleged by the faceless Imo Jonathan. Rather Engr. Emelobe is a man of noble birth, character and integrity who has empowered Oba women, youths and the less privileged. This smear campaign against him by the prince and his cohorts through the faceless Imo Jonathan should be discountenanced in its entirety because it lacks credibility and substance. Oba people know their own. The people spoke with one voice on December 21, 2024 in choosing who will be their Igwe. They will speak again on Saturday 15th March 2025 to re-affirm that choice.
