OJUKWU'S SON BATTLES BIANCA

Even as late Dim Odimegwu Ojukwu’s kinsmen are yet to come terms with the grim reality of his demise,the festering feud between his wife,Bianca and eldest son,Emeka Ojukwu(Jnr) is threatening to mar his final rites of passage.

Since the Ikemba Nnewi took ill,there has been a lingering feud between Bianca and her stepson.If there was any doubt about the sour relationship between Bianca and late Ikemba’s son,the brawl between the duo culminating in conflicting statements on his state of health only brought it to the fore during the early stages of Ikemba’s hospitalization in London,as the supremacy conflict endured.

While Bianca consistently fed Nigerians a picture depicting Ikemba as recuperating,the younger Ojukwu was of the opinion that Ojukwu’s health was on the decline,and as such,the world should know.

Emeka reportedly put his foot down,insisting that he remained the only authority to speak on his father’s health being the eldest son and as Igbo tradition demands.

We gathered that Emeka Ojukwu (Jnr) was however ready to play down his feud with his stepmother(Bianca) so as to avoid any conflict that would possibly mar the father’s burial ceremonies.

Another snag in the whole issue boils down to who gets the bigger recognition .

Until now,Federal Government and the states in the East have been discussing with Bianca on how to give the late Ikemba a befitting burial while Emeka(Jnr) has been doing his own thing.Only last week,some of the late Ikemba’s siblings led by Chief Innocent Okafor,officially communicated the Ikemba’s death to Igwe K.O.N Orizu of Nnewi.

Before then,the South East governors had stated that the funeral rites of the ex-Biafran warlord will hold in Enugu,being the capital of the old Eastern region,before handing his body to his kinsmen in Nnewi for burial.

The burial of Ojukwu,we gathered,will involve some traditional rites in Nnewi since he was a holder of 2 major traditional titles-Dim & Ikemba, in the town.