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The battle between former governor Rochas Okorocha and the traditional ruler of Obinugwu community in Orlu local government area of Imo State, Eze Cletus Ilomunanya, appeared to have no end. Vanguard gathered yesterday that the duo of Okorocha and Ilomuanya are still talking tough after they clashed on board an aircraft from Imo Airport to Abuja. Ilomuanya who is also a former chairman of Imo traditional rulers council, through his Media Adviser Kennedy Eweama, said: “The attention of the Obi of Obinugwu and Chancellor, Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, His Royal Majesty, Eze (Dr) Cletus Ikechukwu Ilomuanya, CON, has been drawn to a mischievous and misleading information, alleging that he granted interview to a news outfit called DIGEST, wherein he purportedly distanced himself from the news of the pummelling of former governor Rochas Okorocha inside Air Peace.

“The said report is false and never happened. Eze Ilomuanya never spoke to anyone from DIGEST. “The public is accordingly advised to discountenance the report obviously planted by Okorocha’s media goons to divert public attention.

Okorocha is an enemy of Imo people and will remain so until he is cleansed. No amount of media washing even with white paint can cleanse him of his iniquities. His pariah status in Imo is indelible,” the monarch warned. Reacting through his Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha said: “The little minded element behind the story wrote: Eze Cletus llomuanya aboard Air Peace flight to Abuja this morning, accosted Sen.

Rochas Okorocha sitting next to him and exploded with so much rage and royal anger. “If Senator Okorocha had seen his brother llomuanya and chose to sit close to him, that action should be highly commended and applauded. “It showed that Okorocha had behaved not only as a Christian but as a statesman .

lt showed that he had nothing personal against llomuanya. “And if llomuanya had paid Okorocha back or had negatively reacted to such a kind gesture by accosting Okorocha and exploding with so much rage and royal anger, one would not be wrong to describe such attitude as unfortunate, condemnable , embarrassing, ungodly, indecent and unexpected from someone who had led the lmo State Council of Traditional Rulers. ln other words, he had showed he was not a good Ambassador of the state. “Part of the report or story was also that llomuanya confronted Okorocha and also descended on Okorocha with his walking stick and Okorocha hastily relocated to another seat. Again, if llomuanya could confront Okorocha to the extent of hitting him with his walking stick and Okorocha was not retaliating but hastily relocated to another seat, we would only say that Okorocha had acquitted himself very well as a two term former governor of lmo State, now a sitting Senator and a worthy Ambassador of the state and the nation. He had shown a character worthy of emulation; while llomuanya’s actions could again be described as disgraceful, unfortunate, regrettable and thuggery on air and should be condemned by all men and women of decency. “The whole scenario had once more confirmed Okorocha’s peaceful dispositions and his penchant or love for peace; and his principle of live and let others live. That was why as lmo governor for 8 years, he never had any personal confrontation with any one .

He never chased or pursued or chastised his critics. Rather, he loved them. llomuanya should also appreciate the maturity Okorocha exhibited and apologise to him since by strength shall no man prevail,” he said. It should be recalled that an eyewitness who narrated the drama to Vanguard said: “Both of them had a brush on the aircraft and even when they landed at the Abuja Airport.

What happened was that Ilomuanya was sitting in the business class when Okorocha came in and when Ilomuanya noticed him and questioned him (Okorocha) about all the atrocities he committed in Imo State, does he believe that one day he will sit with him in a business class? “And does Okorocha believe that he was going to come down low to sit in the business class with him and when he was governor he was playing god in ImoState.” However, the source said: “What hightenend the issue was when Okorocha told Ilomunanya that he (Okorocha) will include him (Ilomuanya) in his 2023 presidential campaign.” It was at this point that Ilomunanya, “Threatened to use his stick to break Okorocha’s head and that Okorocha was very wicked to have putting Imo backward.

Okorocha knew it was very serious and tried to plead with Ilomunanya but that did not work out until they even came down at Abuja airport.”