That Farewell Slap

Last Thursday, March 17, immediate past First Lady of Anambra State, Mrs Ebele Obiano got more than she bargained for when she physically trolled ex-beauty queen and former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, Bianca Ojukwu, during the swearing-in of the new governor of the state, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, at the Government House, Awka.

Both ladies, to the consternation of all the guests present, fought dirty, disrupting proceedings of the all-important event. It was a shameful scenario as Mrs Obiano was heard using foul words like “bitch”, “prostitute” to describe Bianca, wife of the late Igbo leader and veteran warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

The embarrassing issue started when the former First Lady who arrived the venue of the swearing-in late, walked up to Bianca and taunted her by asking what she was doing at the occasion. According to Bianca “I left her but she kept on aggressively putting her hand on my shoulders and shouting. While I ignored her verbal onslaught as advised by people sitting around me, I requested twice that she refrains from touching me with her hands. She proceeded to do so yet again and tried to touch my head and remove my head tie. It was at that point I stood up to defend myself and gave her a dirty slap to stop her from attacking me”.

Violence is not what any society should condone but when self-defence is what leads to it, it can be clearly understood. In this case, it was obvious that Bianca acted in self-defence. She protected herself against a marauding bully who has an unenviable record of harassing, assaulting and intimidating vulnerable people around her like her personal aides and that of her husband. But in Bianca she met her match.

Mrs Obiano attracted a lot of enemies for herself and husband during their eight years in office. She asserted herself on things that were beyond her purview as the First Lady. She wielded so much power, influence and authority that she allegedly kicked against the choice of Professor Soludo as her husband’s successor. It took him last minute efforts to have his way.

The former Anambra First Lady once had an altercation with the wife of her husband’s erstwhile deputy. The wife of the deputy Governor reportedly complained on how Mrs Obiano does not carry her along in whatever she does. Rather than look into the complaint, she became furious and claimed that the constitution recognizes her and not the Wife of the deputy governor. It took the intervention of security men to prevent both women from a physical fight.

The same Mrs Obiano was also said to have engaged in an open quarrel with a member of the National Assembly from the state, Uche Ekwunife. According to some sources, the former Anambra First Lady at an event greeted everyone except Ekwunife and when her attention was drawn to it, she said, ”I do not greet prostitutes” to the hearing and surprise of everyone.

Ordinarily, one would have thought that Mrs Obiano would have used her last days in office to correct the several mistakes she made especially with her relationship with people but she ended her husband’s tenure on a very shameful note. As if that was not enough, her husband, Willie Obiano is now a guest of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged financial mismanagement of the state funds running into billions of naira.

Mrs Obiano, in the days to come, will come to the realization that there is indeed life after power. How she will adjust will be her concern. She should also know that nobody will spare her if she continues her irritating behavior because immunity no longer covers her husband. And so, we truly hope that the premium farewell slap from Bianca has whipped Mrs Obiano in line to act right and in ways befitting of her status.