On Tuesday, August 2nd, the Cross River State House of Assembly failed to confirm one of the Commissioner nominees from Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area, Mrs. Gladys Eutendala, citing a petition as their reason.
Shortly after the news became public, so many fingers went Chief Okoi Obono-obla’s way as author of the said petition. This of course followed several name-callings on the person of Chief Barr. Okoi Obono-obla and the former presidential aide has decided to speak out.
Obla wrote on Facebook;
“In the past few days, rumours sponsored by some people who wanted to blackmail and indeed coax me to support the nomination of somebody from my ward Ijiman in Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State as a commissioner against my conscience has been making rounds in the public and social media platforms.
“When I refused to succumb to the subtle blackmail and pressure to endorse something I was not told before hand nor consulted, my detractors resorted to intimidatory tactics such as threats and after that released a barrage of defamatory materials containing a litany of lies, half truths and innuendoes against me, including the allegation that I was the one that petitioned the House of Assembly not to confirm the nominee.
“I want to place it on record that I did not petition the said Commissioner nominee.
“It is a figment of the imagination of these detractors who after failing to subtly blackmail me to compromise to their shenanigans concerning the nomination had to contrive a lie to give a veneer of legitimacy of their plot to smear my name.
“Indeed, the name of the writer of the petition and his phone number is there in the petition which is in the public domain and the cyberspace.
“I therefore, find it strange that someone would still want to drag my name into the issue when the writer of the petition boldly supplied his name and phone number.
“Regrettably, one of those who falsely and maliciously accused me of petitioning the House of Assembly is Obol Balinwo Ofegobi. He wrote a whatsapp message which he shared in several whatsapp platforms alleging that I led the Petitioners.
“I have therefore; decided after deep reflection and rumination to demand from Obol Balinwo Ofegobi, a withdrawal of his spurious, vile and malicious defamation within the next 24 hours.
“The withdrawal must be accompanied with an unqualified apology to be approved by my solicitors. In the event that Obol Ofegobi fail, refuse or neglect to withdraw his defamation and rendering an apology at the expiration of the 24 hours, I shall instruct my solicitors to file a defamation suit against him in the High Court of Justice.
“@Obol Okoi Obono-Obla, Abuja, Nigeria, 3 August 2023”.