“APC’s Emeka Atuma Under, The Influence Of Osisioma Ngwa Palm Wine” – Ememanka

The Director General of the Abia State Bureau of Strategic Communication, Sir Onyebuchi Ememanka, has taken a swipe at the APC Senatorial Candidate for Abia Central, Chief Emeka Atuma, over claims made during his campaign visit to Osisioma Ngwa LGA.

Ememanka said a few days ago, Atuma took his campaign to Okpu-Umuobo in Osisioma Ngwa where he addressed some women and allegedly claimed that projects executed by the administration of Governor Alex Otti were federal government projects.

According to Ememanka, Atuma mentioned roads including Port Harcourt Road and Aba-Owerri Road in Aba, the ongoing Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road and the close to 70km Umuahia-Arochukwu Road, and claimed the federal government paid for their construction.

“Instead of limiting himself to talking about his plans for our people in the unlikely event of his victory, he chose to tell barefaced lies,” Ememanka stated, adding that Atuma offered no concrete plans apart from “eating from the same soup bowl with the President.”

The former Chief Press Secretary to the former Governor said he wondered why Atuma would “publicly and brazenly choose to tell outright lies and shamelessly claim projects done by Governor Alex Otti.”

Ememanka then attributed Atuma’s comments to the effect of Osisioma palm wine.

“While trying to understand why Atuma will speak this way, I now remembered that Osisioma Ngwa LGA is blessed with experienced palm wine tappers. In Osisioma Ngwa, Okpu-Umuobo has a rich history of producing the finest, sweetest and strongest blends of palm wine,” he said.

“He probably must have had a decent dose of MAI NGWO NDE OKPU. He must have been carried away by the sweetness of the drink without realizing that the sweetness is a red herring, under which lies a heavy alcoholic content. After the dose of palm wine, he now chose to speak and the drink took over proceedings.”

Ememanka said he believes Atuma did not intend to say those things, noting that “even in law, intoxication, if well established, is a full and complete defense to criminal liability.”

He added a cultural reference, noting that in Ngwa language, a special container used to store palm wine is called ATUMA, with a double-handled variant called ATUMA AKA L’ABU, which features prominently at the climax of traditional marriage rites.

“So, let the aides of Atuma, especially my friend, his media man, Okechukwu Iboko advise him to stay off palm wine whenever he is in Osisioma Ngwa. He should drink Fanta instead. That will help him avoid making incoherent statements. I don’t know if he has gone to Isiala Ngwa North and South. Their own palm wine is far far stronger than what he had in Okpu o!” Ememanka concluded.