Anambra billionaire businessman, Prince Arthur Eze, has dismissed calls by Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige to banish him and 12 suspended Anambra traditional rulers.
He said he has chosen to treat the call as “ranting of an ant who, by all social and political equation, is an inconsequential product of history.”
According to Eze, it was sad that Ngige could push for the banishment of traditional rulers whose only offence was undertaking a trip to Abuja to commend his boss, the president, for the magnificent jobs he is doing for the people of their geo- political zone.
Eze’s comments in a statement by his media directorate signed by Okpala Okechukwu, on Sunday, were in reaction to an earlier call by Ngige on Governor Willie Obiano to banish the 12 traditional rulers in the state who accompanied him on visit courtesy to the President recently.
Ngige also said the banishment should equally be extended to Arthur to serve as deterrent to others.
Already, Anambra State has placed a one-year suspension on the 12 monarchs.
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Eze further further described Ngige’s call as “most irresponsible, callous, derogatory and unbecoming of an accidental minister.”
The statement read further: “Dr Ngige as a Minister did not take time to study the underground colouration given to the trip for political reasons by the state government.
“Accepted is the fact that he has been involved in serious traditional leadership crisis in his community over the Igweship, but this should not becloud his sense of judgement to make calls that has no legal or constitutional backing.
“As a Minister, Dr. Ngige ought to know that no section of the Nigerian constitution empowers a State Governor to banish or trample on the fundamental human rights of any Nigerian citizen as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.
“Any governor that attempts to heed to Dr Ngige’s call certainly should be taking an action that is against the letters and spirit of the Nigerian constitution.
“For Dr. Ngige to call for the banishment of a man of Prince Engr Arthur Eze’s status not only in Nigeria but the entire world is, to say the least, most callous, derogatory and unbecoming of a Minister.”
