The Nation Newspaper, 20 July 2010

INFORMATION and Communications Minister Prof. Dora Akunyili and former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Chukwuma Soludo traded words Monday over the funeral of a relation Madam Gloria Ezenwanne.

Madam Ezenwanne was Akunyili’s elder sister and Soludo’s mother-in-law.

In a statement in Abuja, Akunyili accused Soludo of sending thugs to stop her from attending her sister’s funeral in Isuofia, Anambra State, last Friday.

Akunyili alleged that Soludo’s hostile disposition towards her may not be unconnected with the misconception that she was responsible for his failure to become governor on the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the February 6 election.

Governor Peter Obi of the All Progressive Grand Alliance won the election.

But Soludo dismissed Akunyili’s claims, describing the allegations as "laughable".

Akunyili said: "I came down to my village to join my family, relations and well wishers to pay my last respect to my late sister Gloria but unknown to me, my family and invited guests, a large number of thugs loyal to Prof. Soludo were carefully organised to disrupt my participation in my sister’s burial.

"I have never seen the number of thugs I saw on Friday in any event. The thugs were also instructed to embarrass my invited guests. As you may be aware, Prof. Soludo is married to my late elder sister’s daughter, Nonye. So, we are in-laws.

Alleging that Soludo’s loss at the governorship poll may be behind it all, the minister said: "Since he lost the last gubernatorial election in Anambra State, Prof. Soludo has singled me out as the source of his failure to win the election, and he convinced my sister to believe that I was the cause of his failure."

Akunyili said all efforts to disabuse Soludo’s mind failed, adding he, ought to realise that "I alone cannot make him Governor". "So, he brought that anger, grudge and frustration to the burial of his mother in-law who is also my elder sister," she added.

She alleged that all arrangements made by her siblings and her to receive guests at Isuofia, Soludo’s village where the deceased lived, were disrupted by the thugs.

Akunyili said: "They followed this up with text messages of blackmail to my guests, friends and well wishers. When the environment in Isuofia became too insecure, tense and hostile, I quietly relocated to my father’s compound at Nanka which is a few kilometres away just to avoid trouble.

"But Soludo’s thugs also trailed us to my own village, Nanka to commence trouble but the security agents quietly dismissed them".

Akunyili, who noted that her sister was "a very peaceful, godly and well brought-up woman", pointed out that while alive; she enjoyed "my love and friendship as a sister.

There is nothing that Soludo does that will "make me to dishonour my sister.

"Even in death, I will do nothing to dishonour her because what Soludo and his thugs have done is to dishonour her but God has taken control."

Describing the allegation as "laughable, Soludo said he was busy with "serious" and important issues to descend to joining issues with Prof. Akunyili."

He said he won’t be drawn into Akunyili’s unending quarrels with members of her family and relations.

"A statement by his media assistant, Bonaventure Melah, reads: "In the first place, it was Prof Soludo and his wife that were taking care of Madam Ezenwanne while she was sick. They were also the ones that took her to London for proper medical attention for the period that she endured illness until she passed on.

"All arrangements for her burial/funeral were made by Prof. Soludo and his wife in conjunction with the members of Ichie Emmanuel Ezenwanne’s (her husband’s) immediate family without any input from Dora Akunyili.

"Is it not laughable then, to suggest that a person who took care of the late woman while she was alive as well as planned and executed the burial/funeral arrangements would turn round to disorganise it?

"Prof. Akunyili made efforts in her usual desperate way, to disrupt the programme but failed.

"One of the most remarkable attributes that stood Prof. Soludo out during the electioneering campaigns was his vehement opposition, rejection and condemnation of all forms of thuggery and acts of violence."

Drama

These are suppose to be academic proffessors,init?Or were they just awarded the professorship by nigerian government?

Na wa oh

Finally he became the governor.

There is something sinister about Nigerians who spend year after year clamouring for governorship or presidency positions.