I’m Still Obinugwu Monarch –Eze Cletus Ilomuanya Replies Okorocha

In response to the paid advertorial sponsored by All Progressives
Congress, APC, Imo State Chapter and signed by its Chairman, Dr.
Hilary Eke which was published in the Daily Sun of Friday, August 15,
2014, His Royal Highness Eze (Dr) Cletus. I. Ilomuanya has through his
solicitors denied his alleged dethronement as the Obi of Obinugwu
Community in Imo State. He also described as "contrived falsehood" the
statement that he was found guilty of criminal offences by a High
Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State. A letter dated November
10, 2015 and addressed to the Editor, Daily Sun by Law Bond Solicitors
on behalf of the royal father, reads in part:
"That he is the Obi of Obinugwu Autonomous Community in Imo State, a
hallowed position he has occupied since 1996. That he was also
appointed to a defined term of office as the Chairman of Imo State
Council of Traditional Rulers under the Imo State of Nigeria
Traditional Rulers and Autonomous Communities Law No.6 of 2006 (as
amended)."
"That his aforesaid offices were unscrupulously terminated without
just cause or due process of law by the Governor of Imo State, Owelle
Rochas Okorocha upon his assumption of office as the state governor in
2011, an illegality our client successfully challenged up to the
Supreme Court.

"That in a bid to give vent or offer some semblance of explanation to
his illegal desecration of our client's office, the state governor
acting through aides and cronies embarked on a calculated campaign of
calumny to ruin our client's hard-earned public image and reputation
by wrongfully depicting him as a criminal and an ex-convict, who has
suffered judicial retribution at some point in his life.

"That in a bid to offer validity to their campaign, the All
Progressives Congress in Imo State, acting through its Chairman, Dr
Hillary Ekeh, published and caused to be published gravely defamatory
materials and documents which include a forged judgment extract
purportedly showing that our client was convicted by a High Court of
Cross River State holden before Hon. Justice U. J. Udofia on the 13th
day of August 1990….

"That the events published in the aforesaid paper were not only
contrived falsehoods, but our investigations have shown that our
client did not commit the purported offence, was never arraigned and
not to talk of being convicted by the said High Court or any High
Court in Nigeria or elsewhere for any criminal offence whatsoever…."