By Austin Ogwuda
“Your presence gave me hope”, these were the words of His Royal Majesty, Ovie Clement Ikolo shortly after his release, today Friday from Military detention over Okuama crisis.
The monarch was very appreciative of Senator Nwoko as the initiator of the process leading to his eventual release.
Accompanied by his wife and other family members, he said they decided to formally pay him (Nwoko) appreciation visit “for the instrumental role the Senator played that enabled my release”.
Arriving at Senator Nwoko’s residence in Maitama, Abuja, HRM Ikolo heartily expressed his gratitude to Senator Nwoko, who not only visited the office of the Chief of Defence Staff alongside other Delta Senators to intercede on his behalf but also visited him in his Asokoro cell.
Said he, “The day you came to visit me was the day I regained my bearings. Your presence gave me hope”.
The Townhall gathered that prior to this encounter the
Ewu monarch didn’t have a personal relationship with Senator Ned Nwoko.
He expressed his intention to visit the lawmaker again for further discussions.
In the same vein, the wife of the traditional ruler thanked the Distinguished Senator, especially for his consistent calls and assurances during the king’s detention.
“You have never failed to return calls whenever you promised to do so. You always keep to the time you set. I highly respect you for that”, said the wife.
In response, Senator Ned Nwoko stated that he was humbled to have been instrumental in the process and grateful that the collective efforts yielded positive results and encouraged the king not to be discouraged by the ordeal.
“Who knows what could have happened if you weren’t detained. Perhaps it was necessary to prevent something worse. Every adverse situation may not always be as dire as it seems”, Senator Nwoko told him in a consoling mood.
The lawmaker also expressed appreciation to the Military, especially the Chief of Defence Staff CDS for unwavering cooperation and swift action taken in that regard.
Caption: The released monarch (centre) beaming with smiles with the wife posing in a photograph with Senator Ned Nwoko (left) during the monarch’s visit at his Abuja residence, Friday.
