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UMUAHIA—ABIA State government yesterday cried foul over the alleged refusal of the Ebonyi State government to allow Governor Orji Kalu to attend a prayer session planned in his honour by traders in the five South East states at Abakaliki, saying that it was shocked that Governor Sam Egwu of Ebonyi State could act in such a manner.

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But the Ebonyi State government in a swift reaction described what happened as a mix up explaining that the state governor holds Kalu in high esteem and could not have done anything to undermine his visit to the state. Officials of the traders had during a visit to Abia State last month promised to organize the prayer session for Kalu in Abakaliki on Thursday as part of their support for his presidential ambition. Having accepted to attend, an advanced party of the governor’s entourage left for Ebonyi State to prepare for Kalu’’s visit.

 However, information later filtered into Abia State that Ebonyi State government had refused to grant approval for the prayer session to take place in the state. It was gathered that although officials of the Abakaliki main market where the event was billed to place had ordered the closure of the market, the state government ordered its opening and a large number of security operatives deployed there to ensure that law and order was maintained.

Apparently worried by the development, Abia State commissioner for information, culture and tourism, Chief Anthony Agbazuere at a news conference in Umuahia described the alleged denial of the traders to host Kalu in Ebonyi State as an  infringement of the fundamental rights of the governor and that of the traders who invited him for the prayers, arguing that all Nigerians have freedom of movement and association.

The commissioner said that it was surprising that a person like Governor Kalu could be denied entry into Abakaliki, adding that it was the Ebonyi State governor that personally made several calls to Kalu urging him to stay away from his state as both himself and his deputy were away from the state. According to Agbazuere, the development portends a threat to the country’’s democracy and called on all those he said, were working at variance with the norms of the land to reframe from such action.