The wife of late Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, Bianca, has narrated the reason she slapped the wife of a former governor of Anambra State, Ebelechukwu Obiano.
Bianca and Ebelechukwu had engaged in a fight during the inauguration of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo as the governor of Anambra State, in Awka, on Thursday.
Speaking in a statement she issued on Friday, Bianca said Ebelechukwu was noticeably absent when the inauguration ceremony started but arrived an hour later.
Bianca said, “I did not pay any attention to her. But surprisingly, she walked towards me and I thought she was coming to greet me. Instead, she verbally attacked me with her voice raised, taunting me and asking me what I was there to do, using unprintable and vile languages.
“She asked if I had come to celebrate their last day in office or laughed at them. But I ignored her completely. Then, she kept putting her hands on my shoulders and shouting aggressively.
“While I ignored her verbal onslaught, as advised by those sitting around me, I requested twice that she refrained from touching me with her hands. She proceeded to do so yet again and went further to grab me at my headtie, which she attempted unsuccessfully to remove.”
Bianca added that such an act was considered a sacrilege to a titled matriarch as herself in Igbo land.
“It was at this point that I stood up to defend myself and I gave her a (dirty) slap to stop her from attacking me. As she made towards me, I pulled away her wig. She held on to her wig with two hands and tried to take the wig away from me
“The former APGA chairman, Dr Victor Umeh, told her to leave me. Umeh asked other APGA members that had gathered at the spot to lead her away, which they did and they took her to the seat next to her husband, Willie Obiano, who sat through the entire episode completely speechless.
“What struck me through the whole episode was the fact that she was clearly intoxicated. I was stunned by the stench of whisky in her breath at such an early hour of the day. How could a first lady be so drunk, and proceeded to turn up in that state at an inauguration ceremony that began at 9am?
“This was highly embarrassing to her husband, who left the venue almost immediately, taking her along with him. Luckily, this did not disrupt the proceedings and I stayed back to witness the ceremony to the end, after which we were treated to a sumptuous reception at the Government House.”
Meanwhile, the Obi of Awka Ancient Kingdom, Eze Uzu III of Awka, Obi Austin Ndigwe, has condemned the attack on Bianca by Ebelechukwu.
Ndigwe said the action of Mrs Obiano desecrated Awka land.
The monarch, in a press statement distributed to journalists in Awka, on Friday, said he had given Mrs Obiano seven days to publicly apologise to the entire Igbo people or face serious consequences.
He said the actions of the wife of the former governor were sacrilegious, and that as the monarch of the town, he would have to appease the gods of Awka land to avoid calamities.
“It must be pointed out that Bianca was not at that ceremony as Bianca, but as a direct representative of our late father and leader, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, her late husband who pioneered APGA.
“Therefore, Ebele’s action of casting aspersion on her is an affront on the entire Igbo people. This is an insult to Igbo and it must not go unpunished.
“Mrs Ebele Obiano has only seven days to apologise as demanded and directed, or face serious consequences,” Ndigwe added.
