August 18, (THEWILL) – Joan Onyeamachi, a former commissioner for Education (Technical) in the cabinet of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori recently held a thanksgiving service in celebration of God’s faithfulness in her life. Joan was kidnapped on July 30 in her church in Asaba, the Delta State capital. Her abductors killed her driver and police orderly before whisking her away.
The kidnappers had initially requested a N1 billion ransom. It is unclear if the said amount was paid as ransom before she was finally released on August 9, after 11 days in captivity as neither Joan nor the police who affected her release revealed this fact. The thanksgiving service took place on Monday at her church, and it was a very solemn one. Besides singing praises to God, Joan and her well-wishers prayed for the repose of the soul of her late aides.
There were whispers in some quarters that the cleric cum politician’s abduction may have been allegedly masterminded by some disgruntled elements in Delta State. Recall that THEWILL had reported that Joan resigned her appointment from Oborevwori’s cabinet because of her younger brother, Jude Chukwunwike who was seeking a second term in office as Chairman of Aniocha South Local Government Area of the state.
Some people had grumbled that Jude was being imposed on the people by his sister, despite the fact that the seat of the council chairman rotates among the three clans in the council, namely Ogwashi Uku, Ubulu-Ukwu and Nsukwa. Some groups were agitating for equity and fairness and asking that Nsukwa clan be allowed to produce the next chairman in the council election which already took place in July.
Joan was accused of using her influence and closeness to the corridors of power to disrupt the zoning formula.
She however dismissed the allegation, describing it as baseless with a resolve not to be blackmailed after all she isn’t the first person to be favoured by the state governor to be in government and at the same time having a relation who is also in government. She added that it was the bickering and jealousy being faced by her family over her brother’s second term bid that prompted her to tender her resignation in the interest of her brother and their Ubulu clan.
True to her words, her younger brother won his re-election bid. Joan was a former House of Assembly member, House of Representatives member and former Director-General of the Asaba Capital Territory Agency in former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration before she was appointed commissioner by Oborevwori. She used to be married to a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Peter Mrakpor until the marriage collapsed in 2021. The marriage produced three children coupled with two other children from Joan’s previous relationship. Joan
