A hotelier, Nweze Francis Jele, has asked former media aide to Senator
Theodore Orji, Don Norman Obinna, to stop linking the Senator to a N650,
000 debt he incurred while he lodged at his hotel, in Umuahia.
Nweze, who is the proprietor of Upper Graceland Hotel in Umuahia, told
Pointblanknews.com that the journalist, Obinna, had incurred the N650,
000 while he lodged at his hotel for 104 days from July to September 19,
2017.
Pointblanknews.com sighted a Stanbic IBTC bank cheque, dated 16th
November, 2018, titled; Don Norman Obinna, with the name, Nweze Francis
Jele and N650, 000, drawn on it.
Nweze said Obinna issued him a cheque covering the amount owed, but the
cheque was not paid when he presented it at the bank, stressing that his
appeals to the journalist to pay the debt has not been successful.
The hotelier alleged that rather than pay the debt, Obinna has continued
to link his former boss to the debt, saying that he will defray the debt
when the Senator pays him.
“I want to let the world know that Don Norman Obinna lodged at my hotel
for 104 days and incurred a bill of N650, 000. I have evidence of the
bills he incurred on monthly basis. I even discounted some amount for
him. He issued me a cheque to that amount, but the cheque was not paid
when I presented it to the bank. I was embarrassed when I re-presented
the cheque at the bank and they asked me to contact the owner. I have
made several appeals to him to pay me, including contacting his lawyer
who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, but he has refused to pay the debt.
I also paid him a visit when he was detained at the Umuahia Prisons and
he promised to pay the debt on his release. Since then, all my appeals
for him to pay me have fallen on deaf ears. Don Norman Obinna wants to
ruin my business. The debt he owes has negatively affected my business.
Instead of paying me, he has been linking Senator Theodore Orji’s name
to the debt he owes me. That he will pay me when the Senator pays, that
the Senator is using me to fight him; I have never met Senator Theodore
Orji in my life. I don’t know what concerns him with the N650, 000 Don
Norman owes me. He should stop linking the senator to his woes and pay
the debts he owes me.”
Contacted, Don Norman Obinna denied issuing the cheque to the hotelier,
adding that he has never lodged at his hotel and does not owe him.
He alleged that Nweze is being used by Sentor Orji to blackmail him.
“I have never issued him a cheque. I have never lodged at his hotel and
I don’t know how he got the cheque claiming that I owe him. How can
someone say I’m owing him N650, 000, what did I buy from him? I know
Nweze Francis, but I don’t owe him. I’m a guest to hotels in Umuahia,
how come I don’t owe others? I’m not hiding, im a popular person. The
signature on the cheque he brandishes is not even mine. Senator Theodore
Orji is only using him to blackmail me.”