The controversy between Peter Nwaoboshi and Lauretta Onochie escalated abroad on Sunday as the latter refused to fall for the threat of legal action by the former.
This was as a Nigerian in Diaspora, Stephen Kifordu, who wrote from London, United Kingdom, waded into the matter with an advice that Nwaoboshi, a Delta Senator and Chairman Senate Committee on Niger Delta, should apologise to Onochie, the Special Assistant to the President on Digital and Social Media.
Kifordu, who found it difficult to see where Lauretta Onochie disrespected Nwaoboshi to warrant the kind of threat he issued her for relaying on her Facebook wall what he called himself in Anioma language, reminded the senator how mightier powers tried similar threats with the Amazon and failed in the past.
What happened
Onochie had earlier published a story on her Facebook handle, saying she was at an event at Nwaoboshi’s home town when the senator spoke in Anioma language loosely declaring himself as a “thief” and she, as an Ada Anioma, did not feel confortable with that.
She took to her Facebook wall to correct the negative impression, saying Anioma people don’t take what belongs to others.
She said: “I am an Ada Anioma. I was raised in Anioma land. We do not take what belongs to others, let alone pride ourselves in being thieves.
“The question Senator Nwaoboshi has refused to answer is to tell Niger Delta citizens and Nigerians his role in the award of contracts for the provision of 4,800 plastic desks and chairs for primary/secondary schools in nine (9) states of the Niger Delta in 2016 with award of contract letters dated 22nd September, 2016.
“The contract sum was for N3.6 Billion Naira. The revelations in the award of the said contract are mind boggling, disturbing and appalling, using eleven different companies and business names which were awarded the contract are owned by or traceable to one and the same person being Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi,” she said.
The body language exoert said it was little wonder he (Nwaoboshi) needed to give answers to some of the questions bothering on financial allegations against him with regard to NDDC.
Nwaoboshi first to call Akpabio “thief”
The Director of Public Affairs of NDDC, David Odili, earlier before then had issued a statement denying Nwaoboshi’s fraud allegations against Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The Delta Senator had claimed that Akpabio was awarded contracts by NDDC during his days as Senate Minority Leader, which he took money for but failed to execute. But the NDDC’s spokesman said not only there was no contract awarded to the Minister but also there was no evidence on record that such happened in the past.
He said, however, that evidence abounds of how Senator Nwaoboshi, who is Chairman Senate Committee on Niger Delta, used 11 companies as fronts to collect contracts and supplies which were not executed and that where supplies were made to his personal warehouse, he resold to Delta State government.
These were questions Onochie demanded the Senator must answer.
In his reaction, Senator Nwaoboshi wrote Lauretta Onochie a letter threatening to sue her if she did not retract the Facebook post and apologise to him in 48 hours. He also wrote the NDDC spokesman, Odili, with the same threat for issuing the clarification statement he issued, clearing his allegations of fraud against Akpabio.
The letter of litigation was written to Mrs Onochie last Tuesday in Abuja by solicitors of Nwaoboshi, Bwala & Co of the Crystal Chambers and Daniel Hassan Bwala of Lincoln’s Inn London.
The letter read in part: “We are Solicitors to Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi, Chairman Senate Committee on NDDC hereinafter called “Our Client”, on whose instructions we write you on the relative above.
“Our Client informed us and we verily believe him that; On the 8th day of June 2020, you posted/published a defamatory article on your Facebook page (Lauretta Onochie) against our client captioned “NDDC- THE CHICKEN COMES HOME TO ROOST” appearing on your page as follows, amongst others.
“That our client believes that this publication by you against him is meant to ridicule his image all because you occupy an important position in the government of President Buhari in relation to social media. So that whatever you posted or shared should be taken as the position of the President and therefore your post/publications would be believed by others.
“That our client believes that this publication/ post about him is meant to be understood and was understood by reasonable and right thinking members of the public that he is: a thief as you called him in your Facebook post, Corrupt and a criminal; Abusing his office and not fit to represent the good people of Delta North senatorial district, Committing atrocities as Chairman Senate committee on Niger Delta and not a man of integrity.
“That this publication was made/posted by you mischievously and maliciously. To say the least, the said libelous post is calculated to undermine him knowing that the Senate is carrying out a probe of the NDDC.
“That it is our clients belief that for you to call him a thief without being convicted by a court of law has not only maligned his image but also has ridiculed his integrity.
“That it is only a competent court of law that can pronounce someone a thief when the person is found guilty of a crime.
“That there is no doubt that your Facebook posts/publications enjoys wide readership throughout Nigeria and globally as Special Assistant to Nigeria’s President on social media.
“To have maligned disparaged and tarnished his reputation, integrity and image both in his official and personal capacity is not only condemnable but punishable”.
The Amazon fires back
But Lauretta Onochie, an Amazon never to be cowed by any threat after allowing his 48 hours ultimatum for her and the NDDC spokesman to apologise, got back to the same social media platform Saturday evening and hit the Senator in a post she titled, “I have a right of oversight functions over Peter Nwaoboshi not an apology!”
Her words: “When I heard he was DRAGGING me to court, I laughed so loudly, I could have roused a sleeping koala. Hurry, Nwaoboshi, I’m eager and willing to be sued so you don’t need to drag me.
When the news filtered in that you are “dragging” me to court, the calls and messages of support began to pour in. Nationwide and particularly from those you have raped over the years, our long suffering Anioma people,” she said and published a sample of the popular support.
Nigerian in Diaspora reacts
A Nigerian in Diaspora, who wrote from London, United Kingdom, Stephen Kifordu, said: “Where is the disrespect in what Lauretta Onochie has said? Is it the extension of Ony’oshi to Ony’oshi nmo?
“Nwaoboshi should apologise sharply before his bad market increases. Someone should warn Nwaoboshi to learn to choose his battles.
“The lawyer that accused Lauretta of human trafficking ended up being struck off as a lawyer.
“Atiku with all his money is still living in the shame of not carrying out his threat to sue Lauretta.
“I remember how Lauretta single handedly humiliated the Uduaghan funded Pro-Ibori protesters in London.
“Apologise and apologise again until she forgives you because otherwise, hmmm you don buy bad market,” Stephen Kifordu, London UK advised Senator.
