By Moradeke Kolawole
When a person is consistent in one thing, it becomes their identity. In the case of former Ambassador Lilian Onoh, consistency lies in bitterness, vendetta and endless feuds.
Her latest attempt to drag Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa into her cycle of accusations follows a well-worn pattern. Onoh is known more for her fights than for any enduring legacy of diplomacy.
The court records from the libel case filed by former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, expose the character behind the loud claims. Under cross-examination, Onyeama’s lawyer described her actions as nothing more than vendetta.
Onoh herself admitted in open court that her hostility towards Onyeama was personal. She claimed he had pursued her career because her sister divorced him and went as far as describing the former minister’s supposed “hereditary insanity” and “unhinged psychiatric problem.”
These are not the words of a seasoned diplomat. They are the words of someone consumed by malice and family feuds, now weaponised in professional spaces.
This is the same pattern she repeats with Abike Dabiri-Erewa. From a definitely fictional alleged encounter at Aso Villa in 2018, she has manufactured an entire story of Igbo hatred and ethnic vendetta, complete with insults, name-calling and cheap shots about appearance and education.
Just like her fight with Onyeama, it is full of venom but empty of evidence. Abike Dabiri Erewa never met Onoh nor had any encounter with her anywhere at all. She is following her pattern of outright lies and venom.
It is ironic that someone accused of financial impropriety and known for dragging colleagues to court is now trying to lecture Nigerians on who is fit for public office. The truth is that Onoh’s record is one of bitterness and litigation, not of service and legacy.
By contrast, Abike Dabiri-Erewa’s record is open and verifiable. She gave voice to the voiceless as a journalist, served three terms in the House of Representatives with bills that cut across ethnic and religious lines, and as Chairman of NiDCOM has championed the cause of Nigerians stranded in Sudan, Ukraine, Libya, China and other troubled spots. She never asked whether they were Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa before intervening. That is the mark of service, not vendetta.
So when Lilian Onoh hurls unprintable words and tries to dress personal bitterness as national interest, Nigerians can see through it. Her own courtroom testimonies have already shown how far she is willing to go in twisting personal grievances into public battles.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa does not need to pay much attention to such manufactured stories because her work speaks for itself. Nigerians know her record and they know Onoh’s record too. One is a record of service, the other a record of quarrels.
So who is beyond redemption? Definitely Lilian Onoh
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