Governor Willie Obiano explains why he tried to leave Nigeria the same day he handed over to Gov. Soludo.
The Ex Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, has explained why he tried to leave Nigeria the
same day he handed over to his successor, Chukwuma Soludo.
Since last year the EFCC had placed the former governor on its watch list over corruption
allegations and on March 17 2022, Mr Obiano tried to board a flight en route the United States
and was intercepted by the law enforcement at the airport in Lagos.
That development raised a lot of dust and speculations that the former governor tried to abscond
and evade arrest and possible prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which
had in late 2021 placed him on its watchlist.
Governor Willie Obiano, why i tried to leave Nigeria the same day: The Interview
In an interview with premium times on Saturday, Mr Obiano, through his lawyer, Patrick Ikwueto
(a Senior Advocate of Nigeria), said he was not fleeing Nigeria. He said he was rather hurrying to keep a doctor’s appointment to treat a “semi fatal condition”.
Mr Ikwueto said,
“was not running away,” Mr Ikwueto said. “Why will he run away when his family is here and he has
a lot to do here? The fact is that he (Obiano) has a medical condition for which he had a prior appointment to see his Specialist Doctor for treatment at Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
“By the nature of his ailment, he has been undergoing treatment at the said Specialist Hospital since
June 2021 and had an appointment earlier scheduled for the final stage of Specialist Radiography for
eight (8) weeks – which will take place immediately upon his arrival at the Facility in Houston, Texas, U.S.A; and thereafter, after four days. Subsequent treatments are scheduled every day for a period of eight (8) weeks.”
Governor Willie Obiano why i tried to leave Nigeria the same day: The Medical Trip
According to Mr Ikwueto, the former governor had since mid last year received treatment at the
U.S. medical facility every three months.
He said,
“The last time he was there was December 2021 and became due for another round of treatment
this March shortly before he handed over to Soludo,”
Mr Ikwueto declined to disclose the exact ailment Mr Obiano is treating but It was gathered that the former governor was diagnosed with prostate cancer early last year.
According to a source who is familiar with the ex governor’s medical condition who asked not to
be named,
“He (Obiano) was lucky that the disease was detected on time. It was still at an early stage when he was
diagnosed last year,”
According to Ikwueto, Mr Obiano got permission from federal authorities to travel for urgent medical
treatment. He said that the former governor was even surprised that after he was given assurance that he could proceed on his trip, he was blocked at the airport.
Governor Willie Obiano why i tried to leave Nigeria the same day: He continued,
“I can tell you that after the media reported that the EFCC placed him on its watchlist, he reached out
to authorities at the federal level to seek permission to travel for his scheduled medical treatment,
He also promised that he would thereafter return to face any probe the EFCC or any other agency
had against him. So it was shocking that he was still treated the way he was despite the assurance he was given.”
Again, Mr Ikwueto declined to say who exactly Mr Obiano contacted at the federal level.
Malami
But independent findings has it that it was the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami,
that Mr Obiano contacted. Mr Malami reportedly told him to proceed on his trip and promised to
advise the EFCC to suspend action on his case until his return from the United States.
The EFCC is one of the agencies Mr Malami’s ministry supervises.
The attorney general could not be reached for comments as his known mobile telephone line was
switched off the several times this newspaper tried to reach him. His spokesperson,
Umar Gwandu, did not answer or return calls seeking comments.