Igbokwe’s Country Home In Nnewi Was Razed Because Of His Love For Buhari –Femi Adesina

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, has declared that the Nnewi, Anambra State residence of Joe Igbokwe was razed because of his love for President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria and Igboland.

According to Adesina, the burning of the residence amounted to punishment for the love of motherland.

Joe Igbokwe is the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Drainage and Water Resources whose house was torched on October 3 allegedly by members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB.

No life was however lost.

Writing in his weekly column, From the Inside …Fridays with Femi Adesina, the president’s spokesman said Igbokwe’s house was burnt because of the hatred the attackers had for his patriotism.

His words: “On October 3, I was in Ethiopia with Mr President, attending the inauguration of that country’s Prime Minister for second term in office, when we saw the sad news online. The regal country home of Igbokwe in Nnewi, where the man often retires for solitude, and where he had a vast library, had been set ablaze. Whodunnit? You know the answer. Unbridled hatred was on display, and a patriot was paying a heavy price for his convictions. When that magnificent white house erupted in smoke and fire, it was innocence that was burning. Patriotism was aflame, and love for motherland was ablaze. Thy glory oh Israel is slain upon the high places.”

Describing Igbokwe as a patriot, Adeshina said he spoke against separatism.

“When some people from his part of the country began to retreat into ethnic cleavages, and wanted the intelligentsia to identify with them, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Drainage and Water Resources made it clear he was a nationalist. And he stood by his conviction, speaking out against separatism and an attempt to balkanize the country. At the risk of so much, he opted for one Nigeria,” Adesina spoke of Igbokwe.

He gave a little background about Igbokwe: “Igbokwe is a nationalist. His education, primary, secondary and even university he had in the Southeast. But since he got posted for national service in Ogun State in 1985, he had remained in the Southwest, identifying with the people, their politics, their ways of life, while not repudiating his love for his roots in Nnewi, and the Southeast generally. No wonder he is popularly called Agbalanze, after that Onitsha cultural association.

“When it was not popular for people in the Southeast to follow the Progressives, Igbokwe threw his hat into the ring. From Alliance for Democracy (AD), to Action Congress of Nigerians (ACN), to All Progressives Congress (APC), he stood to be counted. And if you count committed followers of Buhari today, the Agbalanze is in the number.

“If there is anything he needs to clarify about government, or our principal, Igbokwe never hesitates to get in touch with me. I give him background information, and he is satisfied.”

Expressing his solidarity with Igbokwe, Adesina said it was high time the country was rescued from the grips of those who “mean no good, concocting sorrow, tears and blood.”

According to him, “It is Nigeria or nothing! In brotherhood we stand. No other option is acceptable, not even conceivable, otherwise, we would all lose, cutting our noses to spite the face.”