COS warns against ascribing statements to him in contrast to his former boss

The immediate past Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Government House, Chief Tony Okocha, who served under former Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has warned those ascribing statements to him on social as well as conventional media platforms to stop forthwith.

He described such statements purported to have come from him against his former boss as untrue and were deliberately used to garnish such publications.

Chief Okocha said these in a brief interaction with journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, saying that he was very uncomfortable to read statements he was said to have made while addressing some associations, urging the affected persons to desist from doing so.

He said that he would have continued to ignore such publications, but some persons appeared to be taking his silence as liberty for license, to continue to garnish their publications with imaginary statements purportedly made by him.

“For those who conjecture a political rife between me and my boss and have gone ahead to fan the embers of mischief by churning out negative news, I wish to remind them that I am a thoroughbred.

“Such uncouth statements ascribed to me against the Rt. Hon. Chubuike Rotimi Amaechi, my boss, are not true. I, unequivocally, disown them. I will not repay good with evil,” he vowed.

The former Chief of Staff stressed: “If I need to make a statement on developments in the party, I will do so at the appropriate time. I do not need anyone to speak for me.

“However, I am of the view that all stakeholders should focus to reinvent the party and place it on a formidable pedestal to make an impressive impact in the 2019 general elections which must be devoid of intimidation, harassment, and manipulations,” Chief Okocha said.

According to Chief Okocha, “I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the media to contact me to confirm any statement ascribed to me before going to press.”