Encomium
FORMER Managing Director of the defunct Assurance Bank and Citizen Bank, Casmir Chika Mbonu has labeled as trash the story in town that he wrecked the ten year marriage of Henry and Doreen Bassey.
The brilliant hunk who spoke to us on phone in the evening of Sunday, September 5, 2010, said he knows nothing about the accusation that he is the father of the two children in the union.
“I deny this story to the limit,” Chika Mbonu told us.
But the story in town is that Mbonu, a pastor in The Redeemed Christian Church of God, City of David parish, Victoria Island (Lagos), has been sanctioned by the church, and barred from representing the organization in any capacity on account of the scandal.
The first class graduate of Civil Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun, (who is happily married to Amaka) and has two children (Montell and Jessie), was allegedly exposed many weeks back, and fingered in the scandal that has wrecked the marriage of the Basseys.
The relative bliss in the marriage of Henry and Doreen Bassey was punctured when one of their two children reportedly fell ill. And during routine check, a blood test was undertaken. The child was confirmed to be AS. And the parents were confused since both are AA.
During painstaking investigation, it was discovered that the two children of the marriage couldn’t have been fathered by Henry Bassey, and in due course, Chika Mbonu’s name cropped up.
During the hullabaloos, the church heard about the disturbing tale, and sanctioned Mbonu (who is also a pastor of a youth wing in Surulere, Lagos, dubbed Freedom parish).
The couple had a traumatic time, with Henry (who runs Blue Island in Lekki, Lagos), described as gentle and good natured, devastated. The marriage was so deeply troubled that both had to part ways. Doreen (from the East African country, Burundi) reportedly fled to London, confused about what to do next.
In the story flying around town, Doreen Bassey and Chika Mbonu reportedly met when she went for counselling in church (City of David) parish). And from there, sources claimed they began a relationship which has turned disastrous.
Meanwhile, when we contacted Chika Mbonu in the evening of Sunday, September 5, 2010, he was disturbed.
Eventually, he contacted us at 7.33 p.m, and we promised to furnish him with the full details of the story later. He called again at 8.42 p.m, and when we narrated the story to him, he laughed at first. Then, he maintained categorically that nothing like that happened.
“Nobody ex-communicated me from church,” he defended. “Who will excommunicate me? Is it a Catholic Church? Nothing like that happened.
“Everything about that story is trash. For me, I will never marry a second wife. I will rather drop dead than marry a second wife (was his reply when we told him that we heard he was pressuring Doreen to be his second wife).
“Whatever is said about me is trash. I deny this story to the limit. The story is trash. Anybody can say whatever they like.”
Chika Mbonu, 46, this year, never categorically admitted knowing Doreen Bassey throughout our conversation in spite of asking him repeatedly: “Do you know a Doreen Bassey?”
“It is like asking me do I know Onyeka Onwenu?” he replied.
“But Doreen is not famous like Onyeka,” we responded.
Later that evening of Sunday, September 5, Mbonu sent a text message at 9.22.
“…I respect your decision to publish your story. But you must reflect my comments with the same passion. Please, respect my privacy. For the avoidance of doubt, I recorded my conversation with you. Thanks.”
When we contacted Henry Bassey, his phone was switched off. We repeatedly called his number and we were unsuccessful in getting his own side of the story.
This story was first published in ENCOMIUM WEEKLY magazine edition of Tuesday, September 7, 2010
