Barrister Joe Asogwa was very close with Jim Nwobodo when it comes to the issue of politics. He knows him inside out and could hazard
and predict Nwobodo’s political actions. In this damning interview with our Editor in Chief, Mr. Harrison Ogara, Asogwa said that his
political experience with Nwobodo exposed his unreliability, faithlessness and slippery character. He further described the current
move by Nwobodo from his PDP to APC as a peculiar mess, what the Yorubas would call “Penkelemesi”. He also spoke about Senator
Fidelis Okoro, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and the hopelessness of the fight for Adada State. Enjoy it!
Quest: For sometimes now, you have been very quiet. What is going on politically in your All Progressives Congress (APC)
Ans: Yes I know! Nonetheless, it is all part of the game. As it is, the real activists in the field now are the younger people who apparently appear to be unconcerned about the views of the elders. In a case such as this, the best is to step aside so they can also have a feel of the action. I remember, I was very active during the campaign and during the election proper. In those days, I worked very closely with the governorship candidate of our party, Chief Okey Ezea as his Director of Administration.
Quest: What did you make out of that election not minding that the matter which was in court had been dispensed with?
Ans: Dispensed with?
Quest: Yes! Your candidate has already withdrawn the matter from the Court of Appeal.
Ans: Ok, that's true but you are aware that the matter between the Governor, Ugwuanyi and Senator Ayogu Eze is still pending in the Supreme Court. If eventually the Supreme Court orders for a rerun, then we will join the fray. So, it is not completely over yet. The judgment was meant to have been delivered on January 15th but it was like they could not do so.
Quest: Are you not bothered about the quantum of crisis tearing your party, the APC, apart since before the election and even after the election? There had been accusations and counter accusations about diversion of funds meant for the campaigns and all that. Outstanding of it all was the one against the APC Guber candidate, Chief Okey Ezea.
Ans: Noooooo! All these have been straightened out by the stakeholders of the party. You know, in Enugu State, Chief Okey Ezea was the oxygen that powered the party. He was the sole financier of the party. So, when people talk about money that came from Abuja, I see people who are given to mischief. Mischief because the money that came from Abuja was a pea nut compared to the personal fund brought by Chief Ezea. If those who are in the party feign ignorance of it, then there is trouble for them.
I spoke about mischief because all the noise you heard about money diversion started coming immediately after the APC won the presidential election. When APC won the presidential election, some people who had never contributed a dime for the running of the party flew in and started accusing Okey Ezea of diverting party fund. They carried on with the campaign against Ezea so that he will be viewed by Buhari as a corrupt person. They called Okey Ezea all sorts of names but the beauty of all these is that Ezea did not divert any dime.
Unknown to these people accusing him of diverting fund, Ezea had all the documents showing payments made with signatories of all those who collected money attached there to. He was summoned to Abuja to address the National leadership of the party and after his presentation; he was seen to be transparent in disbursement of party fund. His accusers were put to shame at that meeting because after his presentation, the National Leadership of APC openly noted that the party was owing Chief Ezea.
Those who were accusing him all these while were persons who were jostling to be made ministers and they felt that the best way to go about it was to get Chief Okey Ezea out of the way through bare-faced blackmail and perfidy. But as God would have it, none of those persons was made a minister. What we rather saw was the emergence of someone who had never even been a member of the party being appointed a minister. So, their actions had a collateral damage to even people who had worked for the party with all their might.
Quest: Very recently your party in Enugu State had her stakeholders' meeting convened by the Minister. Were you part of it?
Ans: Yes and no! Yes because, I was with them in spirit and no because I was not physically present in the meeting.
Quest: You must have been excited that your party had in attendance to that meeting some big political shots in the state who came in to join the party. These are people like Chief Jim Nwobodo, Senator Fide Okoro and Barrister Peter Okonkwo. What is your take in all these?
Ans: (cuts in) What are they coming to APC to do? What motive led them to attend a meeting in which they were not invited? The elections are over and world over, once the election comes to an end, whatever was associated to it goes into limbo. It will continue to be like that until the next time table for another election comes up. You ask yourself: what are they going to contribute to APC before the next election? The proper time to show your genuine support or membership of a party is during the period the party is struggling to stay afloat. That is when the party values each member's role. Certainly not after the election or after it has won the election and you fly in to say you are joining the party.
Did you listen to what Jim Nwobodo said? He said he has not come into the party to displace anybody. Can you imagine that kind of statement? It is horrible and unbecoming of a politician in the stature of Jim Nwobodo.
Quest: I think he was right to say so because people would misconstrue his coming in as one seeking to take over the party. I think he was just trying to clear the air that he has no ulterior motive or intensions to seek for any appointment….
Ans: (Ahhhh) What appointment does he want to have that he has not had before? No problem, let's keep watching them. But mark my word! Their actions could best be described as a gimmick. They have their own programme. We know them and their antecedents. They have a game plan which is quite different from that of the party. To tell the truth, APC in Enugu State does not need people like them now. We will need them when the bell goes for another election and not now that we are sharing positions.
Quest: In the build up to 2019, you need to have big fishes in the mould of Nwobodo and Okoro to be able to displace the PDP in Enugu state and the proper time in my own thinking is now…..
Ans: That is balderdash! How are you sure that these people you are talking about will remain with APC till 2019? How are you sure they will be with you till that time? Having them now is not an assurance that we shall have them tomorrow.
Quest: Are you part of those who allege that Nwobodo and his friends are “food is ready” politicians?
Ans: Oh! I am happy someone has already given them that baptism. But let me tell you that they have their individual reasons that pushed then to come into APC. Some may have come to see if they could be saved from the impending hammer from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). They are afraid that if they are sent to jail again they will die there. They know the crimes they committed in the past and they have come to see if the membership of APC will give them some respite. In them are those who want to be in any party provided they achieve their aim. They have been members of several parties in the past and they have no shame again.
Quest: Do you still classify Senator Fide Okoro as the same with Jim Nwobodo?
Ans: If you recall very well, Fide Okoro was and is still a disciple of Jim Nwobodo. He served as a Commissioner under Jim Nwobodo. So you can comfortably say that two of them are of a similar mould. It is true that Fide Okoro has been giving the APC some hidden support. Now that he has come out in the open, let us see how it goes. Something happened that day. Someone in the gallery was said to have referred to him as a new member but to show the contrary, he dipped his hands into his pocket and brought out his membership card which originated from Abuja not from his Nru Nsukka ward. I am very sure that if you search him very well, he has the PDP membership card with him. So he brings out one depending on the demand of the moment.
Quest: Some years ago, you were said to have contested the governorship seat of the old Anambra State but somehow Jim Nwobodo outsmarted you. What actually happened?
Ans: It was not just Nwobodo and I. There was C.C. Onoh, Charles Abangwu and one Austin Ezenwa who is late now. It was in 1979. We were all gunning for the guber slot of the then Nigeria People's Party (NPP). It is a very long story.
I was the first leader of NPP in the old Anambra which comprises of Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi States. That time, the national politics revolved around the Constituent Assembly of which I was a member. And Alhaji Waziri was always at the lobby of the Assembly building. His job then was to mobilize and woo people to key into his political vision. At the end of the day's session, he would come down to Satellite town campaigning and I eventually found myself as one of his followers. There were tripartite committees that fused together to form the NPP. One is a body called the Progressives, then the National Union and Club 19. These bodies nominated three secretaries of which I emerged as one of them. The others were Paul Unongo and Nduka Eze from Asaba.
When we were forming this party, Jim Nwobodo was no where.
Quest: The NPP?
Ans: Yes!
Quest: What about the Great Zik of Africa?
Ans: Zik was nowhere either. He had already said he was no longer interested in politics and had decided to remain a father to the nation. But I would like us to leave that matter for another day.
So, on one occasion around October 1978, Jim Nwobodo was in Cameroon with the Rangers Football Club for a match which they won. He was then the chairman of Rangers FC and he took them to Cameroon for a match. I was in Onitsha that same day launching the NPP. At the end of the launching, I checked into Paramount Hotel in Onitsha. At about mid night that day, someone knocked at the door of my hotel room and as I opened the door, the person I saw was Jim Nwobodo. I was shocked to see him there at that hour and considering that we had no previous arrangement to meet. Nonetheless, I was happy to see him. We embraced each other right there at the door.
When we got talking, I told him we had just finished celebrating the victory of Rangers and that I was surprised to see him. He told me to leave Rangers and that he had come for something more important. He said he had come to join my party, the NPP and asked if I would allow him to come in?
That was Jim talking. He is still alive today to corroborate or dispute what I am saying. Yet surprised, I said: Jim how can you be asking me this question about whether I would allow you to be part of my party? I told him that we came to Onitsha to hunt for new members and here he was asking me if I would allow him to be part of it. I embraced him once again and told him that he was already in.
When we continued the discussion, he asked me if I could introduce him to Alhaji Waziri who was the national leader of the party. I told him there was no problem. We agreed to move to Lagos to meet with Alhaji Waziri. By that time, flights from Enugu to Lagos was N28 only. So, on the appointed date, I got to the airport and was waiting for him having bought the tickets for both of us. I waited for him until the boarding announcement came. I therefore considered that Jim was no longer interested in the deal and then boarded the plane alone.
When I landed in Lagos, I drove straight to Waziri's house. Lo and behold, seated with Waziri was Jim Nwobodo. The man who begged that I should introduce him to Waziri arrived Waziri's house before me. The funny thing that happened was that immediately I opened the door, Waziri said, “Ahhha Joe welcome, please come in and meet our new big fish, Jim Nwobodo”. I stood speechless! Waziri said “Please work with him, work with him….”. I sat down without uttering a word. I was watching the game being played by Jim. Sensing my worry, Jim said, “my brother, sit down, you are welcome. You know this is politics blab la bla. For me, that was the first bite I had of his character.
As I was to talk, Waziri interjected and said, “yes, yes let's work with Jim because he will help us raise fund for the party”. You know Waziri was the major financier of the party at that time. I said “that's okay but…”. And Waziri asked “but what?” I said “Jim, why did you do this without letting me know?
That was how Jim drew a battle line against me. As we spoke, I still had the flight ticket which I bought for him in Enugu.
From there, Jim, Sam Mbakwe, M. T. Mbu and RBK Okafor started talking with Zik at Onuiyi Nsukka without the knowledge of the leader of the party. They wanted him to come into the party and the discussion was taking place in November 1978. Shortly thereafter, we had our convention here in Enugu and Waziri flew in from Maiduguri and in the evening, after the convention, we all retired to our Hotel Presidential rooms. In that hotel, we were to have a meeting of the stakeholders and when all the leaders from across Nigeria were seated, I came into the hall but to my greatest surprise, Jim raised an issue and the issue was that if I, Joe Asogwa was allowed to sit down in the hall, he would take his leave. I had never been so embarrassed.
Quest: But you were still the leader of the party at that time?
Ans: Yes! I was. When he made the observation, I was again shocked. I asked Jim what his problem was but he started saying strange things. At a point, one of the national officers cut in and asked him to leave the hall if he so wished. When I sat down at the high table, I was expecting him to take his leave but he kept quiet. I did not talk to him again as the fight pitched him against other members. When he lost the bid to embarrass me, he sat down and never made further comments and the meeting continued.
At the end of the meeting, Waziri asked me to take him to Nsukka the next morning to pay a courtesy call on Zik. Very early in the morning, we left for Nsukka in my car. I then had a brand new Peugeot 504 station wagon. When we arrived at Zik's house at Onuiyi, Nsukka, we passed the first and second gates and someone told us that Zik was not in the house. I was personally surprised to hear that because I had earlier discussed with him and informed him that Waziri would be coming to see him at the end of the convention at Enugu which he obliged. Alhaji Waziri who obviously was also surprised at the news that Zik was not in, turned and looked at me. We also called a cook in his house who hailed from Obimo and told him that we were on invitation by Zik to see him but he also told us that Zik was not in. Waziri looked at me again and smiled. It was clear that he had instructed that we should not be allowed in.
Unknown to us, he was at that time holding a meeting Jim Nwobodo, K. O. Ozumba Mbadiwe, RBK Okafor, M. T. Mbu, Paul Unongo and others right there in his house at Onuiyi. But while we were there in Zik’s House, Waziri told me the he knew Zik very well having served under him for sometime and said that he was sure that Zik was inside his house but was not willing to see us.
I said no; there is no way he could be in and refuse to see us but Waziri looked at me again and smiled.
Quest: He had seen that you did not understand the game.
Ans: Obviously yes but my point was that we had earlier discussed this with Zik and to me, it was not possible that Zik will ask us to come only to lie to us that he was not in. Maybe I did not fully understand what was going on. On that note, we drove off and from there he requested that I take him to Jos, Plateau State to attend a party meeting.
When I asked him that it was proper that we go back to Enugu to disperse those at the Airport waiting for him, he said there was no need for that. I did not know that he had already sensed that Jim was part of the meeting in Zik's house. From that point, I really discovered the kind of personality Jim Nwobodo is.
A week later, and precisely the last week of November 1978, we had a National Convention at Lagos, it was also a very big drama. Unknown to us, these persons organized and brought Zik to a hotel in Ikoyi, very close to the venue of the convention. When the time for nomination came, it was war. Everybody knew that Waziri formed the party and so there was never a time we thought that anybody would come from nowhere to hijack it.
Of course, it was obvious that Alhaji Waziri was to be the presidential candidate of the party until we got to the meeting and started seeing strange faces round about us. It was also apparent that the then chairman of the party, Adeniran Ogunsanya had been compromised and was in constant touch with Zik.
While we were at the venue of the convention, he was exchanging notes with Zik unknown to him that some Hausa men were watching him closely. When he did another note that will be taken to Zik, a group of men jacked him up to seize the note. Rather than give them the note, Ogunsanya, to our wildest imagination, squeezed the note and threw it into his mouth. Trust the Hausa men, they all went for his throat to force him to vomit the note. At the same time, one of those who was supporting Zik, Uguru Nwa Oloto deliberately cut the microphone wire just to make it impossible to hear anything from anybody. It was a rowdy session. When he vomited the note, it showed that he had penciled down Zik's name as the presidential candidate without his being present at the venue. As soon as Oloto cut the wire, I rushed out to pick up a battery powered mega phone to assist us conclude the meeting. When I came back to the venue of the convention, it was already a free for all. The fight was such that everybody ran for dear life.
Be that as it may, they were right to an extent because, Alhaji Waziri was working to make sure he emerged as the National Chairman of the party and also the presidential candidate. One of the reasons given for this was that he did not want anybody to sabotage his effort and already he had seen that Ogunsanya had jumped ship and sold out.
Our members suggested that we should go to court but Waziri said we should not go to court and that we should start shopping for a new name. I raised objection arguing that we cannot form a party, gave it a footing in Nigeria, only for a few persons to come and usurp and hijack it few months to election, but I was still over ruled by Waziri who said we should leave it for God and that we should play politics without bitterness. That was how the phrase 'politics without bitterness' came to be.
At that point, the part was split. Ogunsanya took NPP and joined Zik whereas Waziri was left in the cold to form another one. It was in the process that he suggested that we simply add letter 'G' before NPP to form what eventually became Great Nigeria People's Party (GNPP). That was also how Zik and Jim became presidential and governorship candidates in NPP.
To buttress further how terrible Jim Nwobodo can be, when we started Adada State Movement in 1981, he was then a governor and when he heard that the people of Nsukka zone were agitating to have a state of their own, he (Jim Nwobodo) came on television and made caricature of the agitation. He was sitting on a swiveling chair and said: “I heard that the people of Nsukka are asking for their own state, haaaaa, my village Awkunawnaw will also be asking for their own state”. I could not stomach such insult to my people. For our brothers in the other parts of Enugu, they think the area marked out as Nsukka Zone is just a village or at best one local government Area. They see the people of Nsukka zone as a local government even when they know that we are more than them in population.
Research shows that Nsukka cultural zone (with Isi Uzo) has 51 percent of the total population of Enugu State while those of them in Enugu have 49 percent. But because they want us to remain perpetually in the minority, they removed Isi Uzo and put them in Nkanu to give them a status of a senatorial zone. With this arrangement, Isi Uzo will perpetually be in the minority against the Nkanu people. Nsukka already had a status of a senatorial zone when Abakaliki, Enugu, Awka and Onitsha were senatorial zones but rather than divide Nsukka into two senatorial zones, they decided to split Enugu which is lower in population than Nsukka. This is the singular reason why all the ministers they are appointing from Enugu state are from Enugu Zone but our people are not talking. The constitution demands that after eight years of drafting the constitution, any group can apply and demand for the re-jigging of the boundaries. Here we are, no one is talking. It is very painful!
Quest: Now that we have our son as a governor, what are the chances of the creation of Adada State?
Ans: There was once a British Prime Minister who said that he has not come as Prime Minister to supervise the liquidation of British Empire. So, if you think your son will spearhead and champion the fight to carve a state from the State he is governing today just because he is your son, then you are making a great mistake. He would rather prefer to lead the entire state than new but smaller state called Adada. Yes, he may tell you that he supports the creation but the truth is that he will tell you to wait until he finishes his tenure. It is only natural no matter how you think he will be patriotic as Nwa Nsukka. Even you, when you become the governor, you would wish to have a bigger empire under you.
Quest: But the former Governor of Enugu supported the action and went ahead to set up a committee to agitate for the creation of Adada State. Don't you think he had genuine….?
Ans: (Cuts in) Please, spare me all that. I think I have a hunch about that one. I said it in the meeting of the Adada State Movement that this was a ploy by the governor to cage you people but they did not accept my theory. It was a kind of avant-garde. Can a foreigner champion a course for a people? It is quite un-natural. Have you seen a people looking for freedom and that fight is led by a foreigner? It does not happen!
Quest: So, where are we now in pursuit of Adada State?
Ans: We are at a cross-road. This is because the person who is governor and is expected to lead the fight came to power when his party is not in control of the Federal government. Because he does not belong to the party at the centre, he lacks all the privileges that are available to other governors of APC extraction. He has to behave in a manner that will not expose him as one governor that is anti APC like Jim Nwobodo did against the then Vice president, Dr. Alex Ekwueme and paid dearly for it.
Friday, 5 February 2016
Tuesday, 24 November 2015
University of Nigeria Clears Prof. Modum; Says She has no garbage after her Academic records
The Governing Council of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has fired Prof. Chubuike Ugochukwu Uche, a professor of accounting, for making false allegations of several questionable academic claims and falsifications of credentials against Prof. Mrs. Uche Modum, a longtime professor of accounting at the same university.
Several sources at the university, including some members of the council revealed that the decision to sack Prof. Ugochukwu Uche was taken when the self-styled whistleblower could not provide substantial evidence to back up his claims and allegations against Prof. Modum. The sources further added that the University set up a committee to look into all the allegations raised by Prof. Uche and also invited Prof. Modum to clear her name.
A source who pleaded anonymity said: “I was a member of that committee that investigated the matter though I am not authorized to speak on behalf of the committee. The woman brought all her original documentary evidence to prove that she neither claimed what she was not nor forged papers to be made a professor. The Committee sighted all the documents tendered by Prof. Modum and was satisfied that she did not forge any document. We also invited Prof. Uche to come forward with the evidence he had against Prof. Modum but he had failed to produce any. This is an academic institution and any allegation of academic fraud against anyone is not taken with kids gloves. We made sure we got to the bottom of the matter before reporting back to Council for immediate action and it is possible that the Governing Council also saw in our report that the allegations lacked merit that led to the sacking of the young man”.
Prof. Uche alleged that Mrs. Modum forged a letter from a top American journal, Management Accounting (now Strategic Finance), which purportedly accepted two of her papers. The shoddily written “acceptance letter,” which was disavowed by the journal's editor-in-chief, Kathy Williams, in a letter dated June 24, 2011, was part of the documents Mrs. Modum submitted in support of her application for promotion to the rank of full professor.
Mrs. Modum also was alleged to have claimed in various official documents that she worked in a “Jones and Jones Inc.,” ostensibly a certified public accounting firm she purported to be based in Dayton, Ohio, in the US.
Prof. Ugochukwu Uche further revealed that Mrs. Modum had also changed her official date of birth, without which she would have since retired from the service of UNN. Wilberforce University in Ohio confirmed that Mrs. Modum's current date of birth was different from her date of birth when she was a student there adding Mrs. Modum has also admitted ownership of multiple dates of birth in writing.
The woman at the centre of the controversy rocking the Department of Accounting and the Council of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (UNN), Prof. Mrs. Uche Modum has described as false the allegations of falsification of credentials contained in a petition sent to the Governing Council of the University by a professional colleague and a co-staff, Prof. Ugochukwu Uche.
Speaking to The Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Harrison Ogara on phone, Prof. Modum said she was never involved in any forgery or falsification of any document that led to her award of professorship stressing that Prof. Ugochukwu that made the allegations was known to be someone who hated himself and others around him.
Prof. Modum said she had no need to take the matter to Court when the University that employed her had not found any iota of truth in the allegations of the young man.
The chat between Prof. Modum and The Starlite Editor- in- Chief was recorded thus:
The Starlite: Good evening Prof.!
Prof. Modum: Good evening Mr. Ogara.
The Starlite: Yes!, I am calling you in relation to a petition against you by one Prof. Ugochukwu Uche of your Department alleging that you falsified documents and used other people's works without authorization to rise to the position of a professor. The question is: Do you know Professor Ugochukwu Uche?
Prof. Modum: Yes! I know him and I also know that all he said in the petition was a bundle of lies.
The Starlite: Do you mean all the allegations he leveled against you are lies?
Prof. Modum: They are all lies. These allegations had been with various Councils of the University of Nigeria and we have been following the matter.
The Starlite: If you say the allegations are lies, why have you not taken any legal action against him, at least to clear your name?
Prof. Modum: Noooo! The University is handling it her own way. And when someone writes a petition against you, you don't go to court. It is left for the authority to which such petition was made to investigate the matter and at the end take a decision on the matter.
The Starlite: Yes we know that the university is looking into it but are you aware that it is all about your integrity?
Prof. Modum: Yes! It is about me but the truth is that I am a staff of UNN. The School has a procedure. I am following the procedure closely and if the school after their investigations finds me not culpable, I have no reason to waste my time talking to someone who is making wild allegations.
I taught the young man, Prof. Ugochukwu in his under graduate days. His family used to be close to mine. Indeed, his father was my Gynecologist. We have close family relationship. What baffles me is the vigour with which the young man had been applying for my head. Prof. Ugochukwu was a very stubborn member of the class during his first year. In deed, at some point he performed so poorly that I had to inform his father who then advised me to allow him fail the course. He indeed failed the course and had to retake the exam.
While he was pursuing his higher degrees, I was of immense benefit to him. There was also another woman whose name I wouldn't want mention that worked with me to let him attain/get to the point he had attained academically.
The Starlite: You said both of you had close family relationship, is it possible that there might be something between two of you that transcends what we are talking about now?
Prof. Modum: Well, I wouldn't know of any but what is clear is that wherever his father is now, he would be angry with his son over his attitude to me. I have not done any wrong to him to deserve all these embarrassment from Ugochukwu.
The Starlite: Madam, Prof. Ugochukwu Uche claimed that you falsified your date of birth and that was what had been keeping you as a staff of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Do you have anything to say in respect of that?
Prof. Modum: Has he showed you any documents to back up his claim? The burden of proof rests on his shoulders. Let him show the world any document that proves him right in his allegations.
The Starlite: Prof. Chibuike Ugochukwu Uche stated that the only official response from the University on what he claims of your apparent string of forgeries came from the immediate past Vice Chancellor, Barth Okolo, who on December 14, 2012 stated that you, “Prof. (Mrs.) Modum might have made a mistake, but does not deserve all the insults. It is already too late to do anything since she has been educating students in the most excellent manner. What she did not have in publications, she now has in experience.” Is this true?
Prof. Modum: Did Prof. Ugochukwu Uche show you any copy of that letter from the former Vice Chancellor? Look, this is university and I am aware that right from the time he made those allegations; the university must have got to the bottom of the matter and discovered that there was no iota of truth in what he was claiming.
The Starlite: Could that be the reason why the University Council sacked him some two weeks ago?
Prof: If the university finds out that what he was claiming was false, they reserve the right to mete out any appropriate punishment which could be a sack. But the truth is that the school has not found me wanting in any of those claims made by Prof. Chibuike Ugochukwu Uche.
The Starlite: Prof. Ugochukwu claimed that you are being shielded by the immediate past Vice Chancellor, Prof. Bartho Okolo and the current Council Chairman, Mr. Emma Ukala due to the relationship that had existed between them and your husband. In order words, the cockroach does not expect any justice in a committee of chickens. Is this correct Prof. Modum?
Prof. Modum: This issue has nothing to do with my husband, Prof. Bartho Okolo or Emma Ukala. It is purely a straight forward thing. Let him come forward to substantiate his claims. Simple! You don't make such unsubstantiated wild allegations and expect to be given a pat on the back.
Prof. Ozumba Reacts:
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (UNN) Professor Benjamin Ozumba has denied the allegation published in an online media that he was used to conceal the truth in a matter relating to the sacking of one Professor Chibuike Ugochukwu Uche who was alleged to have exposed several questionable academic claims and falsification of credentials by one Professor Uche Modum both of Accounting Department of the University.
Speaking to The Editor-in-Chief of The Starlite, Prof. Ozumba said he was brought in to preach peace among the warring parties adding that as a peace maker which he is, he had no reason not to wade into the matter with a view to resolving the feud which according to him had lingered for years before he came in as the Vice Chancellor of the University. He added that after the Council had looked it into the matter and discovered that Prof. Modum's academic records had no garbage after it and that was why it mandated Prof. Chibuike Uche the originator and founder of the rumour making the rounds to apologise to Prof. Modum - an order which he refused to obey.
He said: “Really, I am aware of the long standing feud between the two professors and I was called in to sit with the two of them with the purpose of brokering peace. I did all in my powers to settle the matter. The matter had been before past Councils and lingered to this point.
At my level, I cannot be used to do negative things. The main reason why I was brought to the University as the Vice Chancellor in the first place was to broker peace and to heal the wounds created by administrations before me. I was sent in by God to repair the broken wall of the university and that is what I have been doing for the past one year. I thank God that we are making appreciable progress in that respect.
Some weeks ago, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka hosted Vice Chancellors from other African Universities and the report they so far made is that we are the best. They left the shores of this country very envious of the status of the University of Nigeria. Before I came on board, what was in vogue was that it was not possible to drill borehole in Enugu due to large deposits of coal but today the story has changed.
“We now have portable water for the Enugu campus in abundance. As I speak now, we are hosting the West African Universities Games. This was rejected by other universities but we accepted to do it because we are the University of Nigeria. We are a brand unto this country and so if other universities in Nigeria run away from such responsibility we cannot afford to run because we are the University of Nigeria.
“These are the stories that should be trending not about one crisis or the other. Mr. Ogara, we have gone past that stage of bickering. We now have atmosphere of peace on campus that we implore all the stakeholders to key into this vision”
On the allegation that he was used by the Chairman of the Council by deliberately refusing to submit the letter that originated from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to the Council seeking to stop Council from taking a decision until it hears out Prof. Ugochukwu Uche, Prof. Ozumba said he was overseas when the letter from the National Human Rights Commission came and by the time he came back to Nigeria, the University Council had wound up their sitting and had taken a decision. “When the letter from the NHRC came, I was in far away Korea and so could not do anything to that effect.”
When The Starlite asked the Vice Chancellor if he as the head of the institution took his time to investigate the claims made against one of his workers by another colleague, he said he had no knowledge of how to conduct investigations adding that investigations are better left for investigative journalists like Mr. Ogara and other relevant agencies saddled with such duties.
'I am an administrator and a peace maker. I try to bring peace where there is trouble. I don't go out to sniff out trouble. I kill trouble each time it rears its ugly head. I embrace peace and enthrone it where ever I find myself. So, I am not an investigative journalist like you.
Prof. Okwueze Reacts:
Speaking to Prof. Malachy Okweze who was also a member of the Council and the Committee that handled the matter, he said he was aware of the feud between the two professors but declined to make his personal take on the issue known. He rather stated that it will be wrong to attach the decision of council or committee to an individual member stressing that whatever anybody wants to know on the issue, such person has to go to the records to find out the true position of the council.
Asked to shed more light on why Prof. Modum could not go to court to claim damages over what could well be termed as libel against her person, Prof. Okwueze said it was not his case to advise anyone on what next line of action to take in a matter of that nature adding that in a fight between two persons, the one thrown to the ground may stand up and decide to walk away without squaring up for further fight while the other may choose to take the matter further. He stressed that what informs the person's next line of action would be his perception of the whole fight. If Prof. Modum felt she was not wronged in any way, she has her liberty to forget the matter and face her business but if she feels otherwise, she knows the next line of action.
On whether the council took time to investigate the claims which are regarded as weighty in academic circle, Prof. Okwueze said it was not his duty to address the press on issues decided by council.
He said he was surprised that the recent event shows that the University Council went on to sack Prof. Ugochukwu Uche adding that he was no longer a member of the council to have first hand information on what transpired in the last Council sitting. He stressed that he would find out what actually transpired during the council sitting.
The Starlite Findings:
In a bid to get to the bottom of the matter, The Starlite took time to seek to lay hands on documents that could assist in verifying the claims made by Prof. Uche against Prof. Modum and discovered that:
Contrary to the claim by Prof. Uche that Prof. Modum's published papers were non-existent, the papers actually exist and they were all sighted by the Committee set up by the University to investigate the claims. These papers include (1) “Cost Accounting: A historical Study; (2) Information flow as a marketing strategy; (3) Opportunity cost: Idea of indispensability; (4) Non manufacturing costs: A visit to mathematical models; (5) Pert: A tool for project implementation and (6) Accounting information System; a case of quality control.
Based on the above charges, well meaning elders (including the most senior professors) of the faculty and beyond actually called and advised Prof. Uche that he ought to have carefully studied the Yellow Book applicable in the period in question (1980s and beyond which was the Bible for academic promotion in the University of Nigeria). It was further gathered by The Starlite that in the above allegation against Prof. Modum, no rule in the Yellow Book was violated by Prof. Modum because the onus of publishing accepted articles was on the publishers and not the author of the articles among others.
The council had invited the two Professors and after deliberations and submission of its report to council in January 2011, the council exonerated Prof. Modum and asked Prof. Uche to apologise in writing to Prof. Modum and circulate his letter of apology to all whom he had sent his allegation.
In the cause of investigating the matter, Prof. Uche was given ample time to appear before the committee with concrete evidence to prove his case but he never did and that was why the council in its wisdom claimed that it cannot wait for Prof. Uche for eternity before taking a stand on the matter moreso when it was apparent that Prof. Modum through documentary evidence has convinced the Council that she did not commit any academic fraud.
On the allegation of age malpractice, it was discovered that the only place where there was an error was during the production of Prof. Modum's School Identity card which was also corrected to bear the real date of birth. In other words, the Wilberforce University, Ohio, USA knew that there was no ambiguity in her age as her actual date of birth of 28 February, 1948 was reflected on the top right part of her transcript.
It was after the council was satisfied that Prof. Chibuike Uche's allegation lacked merit that it decided to mete out appropriate punishment to him and sacked him from the University.
In the meantime The Starlite tried to reach Prof. Chibuike Ugochukwu Uche who is said to be on his sabbatical in the Netherlands through his phone number +31(0)649340263 and his E-mail addresses uchechibuike@gmail.com but was unsuccessful
Tuesday, 29 September 2015
How Okey Ezea Blew Up his case in Court
The Enugu State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal may have upheld the election of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in the April 11, 2015 governorship election against Barrister Okey Ezea of the All Progressives Congress (APC) but the critical factors that generally conspired to bring the matter to where it is now had remained a sore point in the life of the man who had been in the struggle to lead Enugu State since 2007. In this write-up, our Editor in Chief, Mr. Harrison Ogara takes a look at these factors.
When the political history of Enugu State would be written in future, there is no doubt that Chief Barrister Okey Ezea will occupy a strategic and enviable position in the book. Having contested for the position of the governor in the state for three consecutive times and lost in all is worthy of mention.
In 2015, shortly after the election that threw up Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the governor, Ezea as usual moved the contest to the floor of the Enugu State Governorship Election Tribunal to challenge the declaration of Ugwuanyi as the winner of the election.
Aggrieved by the pronouncement of Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Chief Ezea filed a petition on May 1st, 2015 challenging the result of the election and declaration on the following grounds: That the election in all the wards of the 17 local government areas of the state in the gubernatorial election is invalid by reason of corrupt practices stressing that there was non compliance with the provisions of the electoral Act and was not conducted substantially in accordance with the principle of the electoral Act and which non compliance affected the result of the election.
He further stated that Ugwuanyi was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast on the election ostensibly because, Ugwuanyi and his Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) committed by themselves and their agents and privies, gross electoral malpractices, electoral offences and offences prohibited by the Electoral Act and are therefore disqualified from the said election.
Ezea among all the reliefs prayed the Tribunal to make an order declaring him the validly elected and returning him as the winner of the Gubernatorial Election, he having scored the highest number of lawful votes of the total valid votes cast in the said election after removing the invalid votes allegedly scored or allocated to Ugwuanyi and his Party in all the 17 local government areas of Enugu State. In the alternative to the above, Ezea prayed the court to make an order nullifying the election conducted in all the 17 local government areas of the state in the guber election into the office of the governor held on April 11, 2015 on grounds of corrupt practices, massive electoral fraud and non compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 and order a fresh election.
However, when Barr. Okey Ezea testified at the tribunal under cross-examination by P. I. N. Ikwueto the following was recorded:
Ikwueto: Yes! From the results as declared by INEC, the 1st respondent was the winner
Okey Ezea: Yes. My votes was 43,839 votes. The 1st respondent had 482, 277 votes. On the election day, I was at my polling unit at Itchi Uwani, I voted there. There was election at the unit. At all times, and I have never been to PDP and I am not a member of PDP. It is not my case that I won election. (huge murmuring in the Court room)
Ikwueto: That’s all for this witness my Lords!
By this answer, it is assumed that Barr. Ezea had dealt a fatal blow to his matter because by the ordinary meaning of that statement, he had admitted that he lost the election.
A Fight with Barr. George Ogara
However, no sooner did the matter begin than Ezea began a fresh round of battle with his own lawyer, Barr. George Tab Ogara.
The cause of the fight was not unconnected with disagreements over who should represent Ezea in the matter.
The fight ensued when one of Ezea's lawyers, Ogara, allegedly refused to surrender the documents and exhibits relating to the petition, in his possession. When Mr. Ogara refused to surrender the document and insisted on going ahead with the petition, he was arrested by a team of policemen who towed his car containing the documents packed in three Ghana-Must-Go bags to an unknown destination.
From the first day the petition came up in court, on May 16, 2015, the Petitioners were represented by George Ogara and Peter Ugwu and they continued to appear for the petitioners on subsequent dates.
But on June 15, 2015, when the petition was called, Ogara announced appearance for the petitioners and a Chief A. O. Giwa also announced appearance for the petitioners. This forced the tribunal to ask who, between the two, was the actual Counsel for the petitioners.
It was however suggested that George Ogara should be allowed to lead him (Giwa) since A.O. Giwa's name also appeared on the list of Counsels to the petitioners.
At this stage, Giwa withdrew his appearance for the petitioners and excused himself from the proceedings. Ogara continued to appear for the petitioners on subsequent adjournments.
At the resumed hearing on Thursday July 2, when the petition was called, the petitioner, Chief Ezea was present in court and his party, APC was also represented. George Ogara appeared for the petitioners, Patrick Ikwueto, SAN with Tochuckwu Odo and Cyril Obika, appeared for the Governor, Mrs. A. J. Offia, SAN, PMB Onyia and Uche Onyekachi appeared for the PDP and Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, with Peter Eze, Onyinye Anumonye and E.S. Nri-Ezedi appeared for INEC.
The court gave its report on pre-hearing and scheduling for the hearing of the petition. After that, B. N. Nebe, who was among the lawyers that prepared the petition stood up and announced himself as the Legal Adviser to the APC and went ahead to inform the court that the petitioners had filed a notice of change of counsel and that the petitioners now wish to be represented by Solomon Akuma, SAN. He also applied for adjournment for five days to allow Akuma study the processes filed in the suit.
Ikwueto, SAN, PMB Onyia and Ikpeazu SAN, all opposed the application. They challenged the application on the ground that Nebe, who signed the notice of change of counsel was one of the lawyers whose names appeared on the petition as counsel already representing the petitioners.
The defence lawyers also argued that the name of George Ogara who had been appearing all along for the petitioners was not even contained in the petition as one of the counsels representing the petitioners, adding that all he had been doing all the while was holding brief for those whose names appeared on the petition including Nebe.
The defence lawyers further told the tribunal that the application for change of counsel was aimed at wasting time which the Electoral Act does not allow since under the Act, election petitions are to be given expeditious hearing.
The defence lawyers further submitted that under the Electoral Act and Federal High Court rules, which also applies to Election Tribunals, notice of change of counsel must be accompanied by an affidavit disclosing the reasons for the change but in this case, there was no affidavit filed and no reason given.
They therefore urged the court to discountenance the notice and go ahead with hearing of the case.
In response, George Ogara, said that Mr. Nebe did not obtain his consent before filing the notice of change of counsel and that it was not the practice for a junior counsel to debrief a senior counsel in the same matter. He insisted that he was ready to go on with the petition.
In its ruling, the tribunal held that the application did not comply with the Electoral Act and High Court rules and struck it out. The tribunal adjourned to Monday July 6, 2015 to enable the petitioners sort out the issue of their representation.
But immediately the parties left the court room, counsel to the petitioners, George Ogara, the petitioner and members of APC were seen arguing fiercely at the booth of Ogara's car expressing anger over the confusion created at the tribunal's sitting earlier.
Shortly after, the APC members were seen dragging the Ghana-must-go bags with which George Ogara brought the documents relating to the case. Ogara forcefully took the bags into his car and locked it before moving back into the court room apparently to prevent the APC members from snatching them, but the atmosphere was charged as the petitioner and the APC members were bent on recovering the documents.
Because one of the lawyers was hitting his car outside, George Ogara came out of the court to challenge the APC members and a fight then ensued between them and policemen invited by Ezea arrested the lawyer and took him away for refusing to surrender the document.
Lawyers that appeared before the tribunal who watched the unfortunate development condemned the invasion of the court premises by thugs allegedly invited by the APC.
When The starlite spoke to Barr. Ogara on the issue, he said he brought out his time and money to see if he could remedy Ezea's matter but rather than appreciate his gesture, he (Ezea) brought a band of thugs to the tribunal premises and attacked him.
He said: “I came into this matter without Okey Ezea paying me a dime. I decided to do the matter because he is my brother. The moment we started the matter, Okey Ezea started making some funny moves. In the motion he filed in the tribunal to change counsel, he said he was changing me because I refused to be led by a Senior Advocate who according to him, had had over 35 years post call. I was expecting him to accuse me of incompetence but he didn't say all those. I am 16 years in the bar and I don't get intimidated by anybody just because he is a Senior Advocate. What we are talking about is law not the number of years you had put in as a practitioner. Thank God he did not accuse me of incompetence.
“Chief Ezea after all I have done for him went a step ahead to also accuse me of negotiating with PDP to trade off his matter for N25 million. This was a grave allegation that if I did not handle well was a calculated attempt to bring my reputation to ridicule. For the first time since I was called to bar some 16 years ago, someone, and indeed my client accused me of negotiating with the other camp to sell his matter. It was strange to me and if I tell you I was not embarrassed, I would be telling a lie. You can see the weight of blunder he committed in the tribunal under cross-examination. This was occasioned by lack of diligent representation. In the cross examination, he accepted that it was not his case that he won the governorship election. The meaning of his answer was that we had no reason approaching the tribunal to either declare him winner or annul the election. With that answer, he made an irreparable damage to the matter”.
Says Barr Aroh is Incompetent
After the sordid outing and public show of shame with Barr Ogara which eventually led to his withdrawal from the matter, Okey Ezea again on Tuesday, August 18, declared his new lawyer, Ikechukwu Aroh, at the election petitions tribunal as incompetent.
Ezea made the declaration following an argument between him and Ikechukwu Aroh of Chukwuma Oguejiofor Chambers, who claimed to be his new counsel, over two written addresses filed on his behalf.
One of the addresses was filed by the petitioner's former counsel on Aug. 8 while the second was filed by Aroh four days later, even when he had not been admitted by the tribunal.
Aro told the tribunal that he was instructed by his principal to adopt the written address of Aug. 12 as the petitioner's address and requested the tribunal to enlarge time for him to adopt the address as it was filed out of time.
The petitioner, however, objected on the ground that the tribunal should adopt the address of Aug. 8, saying that Aroh was out to ruin his case.
Aroh subsequently applied for withdrawal of appearance for the petitioner which the tribunal granted.
Ezea Moves to Represent Himself
As Aroh withdrew from the matter, Ezea strangely wanted to make his case in the tribunal. His attempt to carry on with the petition himself, was opposed by the respondents on the ground that he was not listed as such in the petition.
The counsel to the respondent, Patrick Ikwueto, had said that Ezea filed two different written addresses with different dates, adding that the two addresses were filed out of time and urged the petitioner to adopt one as his written address.
In deed, Ezea spent more energy fighting with his own lawyers than he did against his opponents in the tribunal.
But beyond all these, it is alleged that Chief Okey Ezea was legendary in picking quarrel with his lawyers. He was said to have bickered with Barr. Venatius Odo, his lawyer in an election tribunal, Barr. Ben Ezeugwu, his lawyer in an election tribunal, Chief. Mike Ajogwu (SAN), his Lawyer in Election tribunal, Alex Iziyon (SAN) and Olisa Agbakoba (SAN).
When the political history of Enugu State would be written in future, there is no doubt that Chief Barrister Okey Ezea will occupy a strategic and enviable position in the book. Having contested for the position of the governor in the state for three consecutive times and lost in all is worthy of mention.
In 2015, shortly after the election that threw up Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the governor, Ezea as usual moved the contest to the floor of the Enugu State Governorship Election Tribunal to challenge the declaration of Ugwuanyi as the winner of the election.
Aggrieved by the pronouncement of Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Chief Ezea filed a petition on May 1st, 2015 challenging the result of the election and declaration on the following grounds: That the election in all the wards of the 17 local government areas of the state in the gubernatorial election is invalid by reason of corrupt practices stressing that there was non compliance with the provisions of the electoral Act and was not conducted substantially in accordance with the principle of the electoral Act and which non compliance affected the result of the election.
He further stated that Ugwuanyi was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast on the election ostensibly because, Ugwuanyi and his Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) committed by themselves and their agents and privies, gross electoral malpractices, electoral offences and offences prohibited by the Electoral Act and are therefore disqualified from the said election.
Ezea among all the reliefs prayed the Tribunal to make an order declaring him the validly elected and returning him as the winner of the Gubernatorial Election, he having scored the highest number of lawful votes of the total valid votes cast in the said election after removing the invalid votes allegedly scored or allocated to Ugwuanyi and his Party in all the 17 local government areas of Enugu State. In the alternative to the above, Ezea prayed the court to make an order nullifying the election conducted in all the 17 local government areas of the state in the guber election into the office of the governor held on April 11, 2015 on grounds of corrupt practices, massive electoral fraud and non compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 and order a fresh election.
However, when Barr. Okey Ezea testified at the tribunal under cross-examination by P. I. N. Ikwueto the following was recorded:
Ikwueto: Yes! From the results as declared by INEC, the 1st respondent was the winner
Okey Ezea: Yes. My votes was 43,839 votes. The 1st respondent had 482, 277 votes. On the election day, I was at my polling unit at Itchi Uwani, I voted there. There was election at the unit. At all times, and I have never been to PDP and I am not a member of PDP. It is not my case that I won election. (huge murmuring in the Court room)
Ikwueto: That’s all for this witness my Lords!
By this answer, it is assumed that Barr. Ezea had dealt a fatal blow to his matter because by the ordinary meaning of that statement, he had admitted that he lost the election.
A Fight with Barr. George Ogara
However, no sooner did the matter begin than Ezea began a fresh round of battle with his own lawyer, Barr. George Tab Ogara.
The cause of the fight was not unconnected with disagreements over who should represent Ezea in the matter.
The fight ensued when one of Ezea's lawyers, Ogara, allegedly refused to surrender the documents and exhibits relating to the petition, in his possession. When Mr. Ogara refused to surrender the document and insisted on going ahead with the petition, he was arrested by a team of policemen who towed his car containing the documents packed in three Ghana-Must-Go bags to an unknown destination.
From the first day the petition came up in court, on May 16, 2015, the Petitioners were represented by George Ogara and Peter Ugwu and they continued to appear for the petitioners on subsequent dates.
But on June 15, 2015, when the petition was called, Ogara announced appearance for the petitioners and a Chief A. O. Giwa also announced appearance for the petitioners. This forced the tribunal to ask who, between the two, was the actual Counsel for the petitioners.
It was however suggested that George Ogara should be allowed to lead him (Giwa) since A.O. Giwa's name also appeared on the list of Counsels to the petitioners.
At this stage, Giwa withdrew his appearance for the petitioners and excused himself from the proceedings. Ogara continued to appear for the petitioners on subsequent adjournments.
At the resumed hearing on Thursday July 2, when the petition was called, the petitioner, Chief Ezea was present in court and his party, APC was also represented. George Ogara appeared for the petitioners, Patrick Ikwueto, SAN with Tochuckwu Odo and Cyril Obika, appeared for the Governor, Mrs. A. J. Offia, SAN, PMB Onyia and Uche Onyekachi appeared for the PDP and Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, with Peter Eze, Onyinye Anumonye and E.S. Nri-Ezedi appeared for INEC.
The court gave its report on pre-hearing and scheduling for the hearing of the petition. After that, B. N. Nebe, who was among the lawyers that prepared the petition stood up and announced himself as the Legal Adviser to the APC and went ahead to inform the court that the petitioners had filed a notice of change of counsel and that the petitioners now wish to be represented by Solomon Akuma, SAN. He also applied for adjournment for five days to allow Akuma study the processes filed in the suit.
Ikwueto, SAN, PMB Onyia and Ikpeazu SAN, all opposed the application. They challenged the application on the ground that Nebe, who signed the notice of change of counsel was one of the lawyers whose names appeared on the petition as counsel already representing the petitioners.
The defence lawyers also argued that the name of George Ogara who had been appearing all along for the petitioners was not even contained in the petition as one of the counsels representing the petitioners, adding that all he had been doing all the while was holding brief for those whose names appeared on the petition including Nebe.
The defence lawyers further told the tribunal that the application for change of counsel was aimed at wasting time which the Electoral Act does not allow since under the Act, election petitions are to be given expeditious hearing.
The defence lawyers further submitted that under the Electoral Act and Federal High Court rules, which also applies to Election Tribunals, notice of change of counsel must be accompanied by an affidavit disclosing the reasons for the change but in this case, there was no affidavit filed and no reason given.
They therefore urged the court to discountenance the notice and go ahead with hearing of the case.
In response, George Ogara, said that Mr. Nebe did not obtain his consent before filing the notice of change of counsel and that it was not the practice for a junior counsel to debrief a senior counsel in the same matter. He insisted that he was ready to go on with the petition.
In its ruling, the tribunal held that the application did not comply with the Electoral Act and High Court rules and struck it out. The tribunal adjourned to Monday July 6, 2015 to enable the petitioners sort out the issue of their representation.
But immediately the parties left the court room, counsel to the petitioners, George Ogara, the petitioner and members of APC were seen arguing fiercely at the booth of Ogara's car expressing anger over the confusion created at the tribunal's sitting earlier.
Shortly after, the APC members were seen dragging the Ghana-must-go bags with which George Ogara brought the documents relating to the case. Ogara forcefully took the bags into his car and locked it before moving back into the court room apparently to prevent the APC members from snatching them, but the atmosphere was charged as the petitioner and the APC members were bent on recovering the documents.
Because one of the lawyers was hitting his car outside, George Ogara came out of the court to challenge the APC members and a fight then ensued between them and policemen invited by Ezea arrested the lawyer and took him away for refusing to surrender the document.
Lawyers that appeared before the tribunal who watched the unfortunate development condemned the invasion of the court premises by thugs allegedly invited by the APC.
When The starlite spoke to Barr. Ogara on the issue, he said he brought out his time and money to see if he could remedy Ezea's matter but rather than appreciate his gesture, he (Ezea) brought a band of thugs to the tribunal premises and attacked him.
He said: “I came into this matter without Okey Ezea paying me a dime. I decided to do the matter because he is my brother. The moment we started the matter, Okey Ezea started making some funny moves. In the motion he filed in the tribunal to change counsel, he said he was changing me because I refused to be led by a Senior Advocate who according to him, had had over 35 years post call. I was expecting him to accuse me of incompetence but he didn't say all those. I am 16 years in the bar and I don't get intimidated by anybody just because he is a Senior Advocate. What we are talking about is law not the number of years you had put in as a practitioner. Thank God he did not accuse me of incompetence.
“Chief Ezea after all I have done for him went a step ahead to also accuse me of negotiating with PDP to trade off his matter for N25 million. This was a grave allegation that if I did not handle well was a calculated attempt to bring my reputation to ridicule. For the first time since I was called to bar some 16 years ago, someone, and indeed my client accused me of negotiating with the other camp to sell his matter. It was strange to me and if I tell you I was not embarrassed, I would be telling a lie. You can see the weight of blunder he committed in the tribunal under cross-examination. This was occasioned by lack of diligent representation. In the cross examination, he accepted that it was not his case that he won the governorship election. The meaning of his answer was that we had no reason approaching the tribunal to either declare him winner or annul the election. With that answer, he made an irreparable damage to the matter”.
Says Barr Aroh is Incompetent
After the sordid outing and public show of shame with Barr Ogara which eventually led to his withdrawal from the matter, Okey Ezea again on Tuesday, August 18, declared his new lawyer, Ikechukwu Aroh, at the election petitions tribunal as incompetent.
Ezea made the declaration following an argument between him and Ikechukwu Aroh of Chukwuma Oguejiofor Chambers, who claimed to be his new counsel, over two written addresses filed on his behalf.
One of the addresses was filed by the petitioner's former counsel on Aug. 8 while the second was filed by Aroh four days later, even when he had not been admitted by the tribunal.
Aro told the tribunal that he was instructed by his principal to adopt the written address of Aug. 12 as the petitioner's address and requested the tribunal to enlarge time for him to adopt the address as it was filed out of time.
The petitioner, however, objected on the ground that the tribunal should adopt the address of Aug. 8, saying that Aroh was out to ruin his case.
Aroh subsequently applied for withdrawal of appearance for the petitioner which the tribunal granted.
Ezea Moves to Represent Himself
As Aroh withdrew from the matter, Ezea strangely wanted to make his case in the tribunal. His attempt to carry on with the petition himself, was opposed by the respondents on the ground that he was not listed as such in the petition.
The counsel to the respondent, Patrick Ikwueto, had said that Ezea filed two different written addresses with different dates, adding that the two addresses were filed out of time and urged the petitioner to adopt one as his written address.
In deed, Ezea spent more energy fighting with his own lawyers than he did against his opponents in the tribunal.
But beyond all these, it is alleged that Chief Okey Ezea was legendary in picking quarrel with his lawyers. He was said to have bickered with Barr. Venatius Odo, his lawyer in an election tribunal, Barr. Ben Ezeugwu, his lawyer in an election tribunal, Chief. Mike Ajogwu (SAN), his Lawyer in Election tribunal, Alex Iziyon (SAN) and Olisa Agbakoba (SAN).
Monday, 3 August 2015
"We are Behind You" --Nsukka People tell Ugwuanyi
In a general meeting that was well attended by major stakeholders in the cultural zone, held at Adada House, GRA, Nsukka, the Assembly said they were standing like one man behind the leadership of Hon. Ugwuanyi to enable him correct all the imbalances that were perpetrated by previous administrations in the state.
To show commitment to the promise, the apex body instructed all politicians from the area to withdraw any pending court case against the Governor or risk the dare consequences that might follow.
In his address, the chairman of NGA, Prof. Lawrence Ocho, called for a redoubled effort for the actualization of the creation of Adada state “as the quickest way to find respite from the unending neglect suffered by the people of the area in terms of denial of allocation of infrastructures and abandonment of on-going projects.
“In infrastructural development, allocation to our zone has been dismally low and disgraceful”, he stated in apparent lamentation of the said neglect of the areas.
According to him, “Consequently, the road billed to be tarred from Eke through Akpakwume to Nze and Aku, never entered our zone. Adarice and Adada Dam projects have been abandoned. Adada Campus of ESUT was removed”, Ocho recounted.
Ocho recalled that since the return of democracy in 1999, no ministerial slot meant for the state has been given to anybody from the area, just as the zone has the lowest number of judges among the senatorial districts in the state and hoped the present administration would help address the imbalances.
In his reaction, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi said his administration has resolved to pursue policies and programmes that would address all imbalances in the state and called for continued prayers of the people for the improvement in the economy to enable the government to actualize its development targets. He said such move would pave the way for the promotion of justice, equity and fairness to justify the massive support of the people enjoyed by his administration.
It was an occasion during which the people of the Nsukka Cultural zone of the state, spread across seven local council areas, agreed to forge a greater unity and to bury the hatchet in order to catalyze not just a huge solidarity for the Ugwuanyi administration but to, henceforth, constitute a strong voice to push for equity, justice and fair play in the state.
The governor, who hails from the zone, expressed his appreciation over the declaration by the leadership of the Assembly on the resolution of all divisions among the people before the elections to build a more formidable force towards realizing the goal of common development and progress of the area.
The governor commended the leadership for the opportunity offered by the forum to chart a course for the best way to tackle the task of providing the needs of Nsukka people and assured that his administration would not go back on its resolve to give a radical approach to the planned facelift for the area.
Ugwuanyi commended the NGA leadership for convening the large meeting of the steering committee of the organization which eventually drew representatives of the Nsukka people from across the country, each delegation coming with not just solidarity message for him but also presentations that provided road maps for the sustainable growth of the area said to have been suffering much neglect in the past two decades.
Earlier in his remarks, the Senator representing Enugu North Senatorial district, Chief Chukwuka Utazi promised the people a fruitful representation by attracting infrastructures and projecting national policies of common interest to the people of the zone.
Apart from the former information minister, Chief Nnia Nwodo and a strong representation of the over 100-strong Associations of Nsukka extraction, the Association of Nsukka Professors, Lagos-based professionals, Judges, Journalists and indigenes of the area from other parts of the country graced the occasion.
Ekweremadus Support Church with a Church Hall
It was also a day the community had the opportunity to welcome the Deputy Senate President in their midst for the first time after his historic reelection.
The occasion proper was a dual ceremony of church service in celebration of the 50th birthday of Hon Matthias Ekweremadu (OON), the younger brother to the Senator and dedication of the new Church auditorium built and donated to Awgu/Aninri Diocese of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion by the younger Ekweremadu who was a former Chairman of Aninri Local Government and currently the Chief Whip of the Enugu State House of Assembly representing Aninri constituency in the House.
In his homily, the Bishop of Awgu/Aninri Anglican Diocese, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Ugwu who was the officiating Priest extolled the virtues of Senator Ike and Hon. Matthias Ekweremadu describing them as shining light for the community, the Church, Enugu state and Nigeria at large. He noted that for one to celebrate his attainment of 50 years of age with the donation of millions of Naira church building to his community goes a long way to speak volume of his love for God and humanity adding that the church lack enough word to thank the lawmaker.
Bishop Ugwu who emphasized on abundant blessings and benefits of doing God's work in cash and kind mandated the people of Obuagu Mpu who are the immediate beneficiaries of the Church to take advantage of the development to draw closer to God through dedicated service to the church and love for one another and always ensure that they pray for the benefactor and his family, the Anglican communion, Aninri, Enugu state and Nigeria in general.
Commenting on the reelection of Senator Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President, the Bishop described him as a destined leader and an indomitable politician who has achieved great feats that nobody expected of him, noting that his reelection as No 2 senator for three terms consecutively is a miracle orchestrated by destiny. "God ordained him for this assignment and nobody can stop him, he will continue to grow from strength to strength until he reaches where God programmed for him". He added
In his remark, Senator Ekweremadu appreciated the contribution of the Anglican Church to the peace and progress of Nigeria through prayer and message of good conduct to the people noting that the church has in particular made massive contribution to the success of democracy in the country and called for continued support through prayers for peace and progress of the country.
The Mpu born senator who attributed the success of the 2015 elections as well as his reelection as senator and as deputy senate president to the love of God through prayers, reassured that the National Assembly will continue to serve the interest of the people. He promised to continue to support the Church and offered to complete the on-going construction of the Bishop's Court in Awgu/Aninri Anglican Diocese.
In his words, the junior Ekweremadu who stormed the altar with his wife said that he was inspired to build the 1000 capacity Church auditorium at 50 by the love of God upon him and his family, noting that the Almighty has been so good to him and his family. "as I was approaching 50, I told my wife that I would like to do something special for God while celebrating my 50th birth day, at the end of the deliberation with my wife, we agreed to build this church, my prayer is that God will use the Church to continue to bless the people" he added
The former council chairman and current chief whip at the Hallowed Chamber of the House thanked the Church and the people of Obuagu Mpu for their support to his political career and that of his brother with prayers and their votes all along assuring that he will always provide his widow's mite for the development and progress of the Anglican communion and Aninri at large.
In her words, the deputy governor, Her Excellency Hon Ezeilo, thanked the church for supporting the government always and commended the junior Ekweremadu, who she described as her former colleague in the House, for his vision and magnanimity in providing what the people of Obuagu Mpu need at this point in time adding that nothing could be more important than a place where people can gather to meet with God and pray for their needs.
She called for continued support and prayers from the gathering for the new administration in Enugu state under governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, assuring that the good relationship between the government and people of the state will remain intact under Ugwuanyi as the new governor is poised to continue where his predecessor, Sullivan Chime, stopped in providing dividends of democracy to the people.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Aninri Local Government Area, Hon M. C. Nwobodo said that the Church is yet another giant stride from the Ekweremadus to the land of Aninri, adding that the family has been a source of immense blessings to the local government. According to him, Aninri is the fastest developing and growing local government in Nigeria courtesy of the deputy senate president and his brother who have continued to attract developmental projects to the people.
"The senator and his brother have been so wonderful to us in so many areas, from providing job opportunities for our people to infrastructure among other things that I cannot just count here. As you can see for yourself, Aninri, I believe, is the fastest developing local government area in Nigeria and that is as a result of their good works, we are really proud of them" the chairman donated N1Million to the church.
As expected, the church service was graced by top government functionaries from Enugu state led by the deputy governor. The Bishops of all the Diocese of the Angican Province of Enugu led by Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma and former Minister of power, Venerable Professor Chinedu Nebo were also present.
Others include the Member representing Awgu, Aninri and Oji River Federal constituency in the Federal House of Reps, Hon Toby Okechukwu and other members of the State and National Assembly, chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP led by the former Acting state chairman of the party in Enugu state, Elder David Ajah who is now the deputy state chairman of the party, a group of former local government chairmen in Enugu state, traditional rulers and women groups among others.
Ikeoha Foundation Disburses N23.5m Grant to Students
The Senator gave the bursary awards and scholarships at the 2015 edition of the Ikeoha Foundation Adult Literacy Day and 2014/2015 Scholarship and Bursary Award Ceremony held at the Government Field, Awgu, Enugu State.
This was also on a day the Foundation graduated 198 adult learners with the Executive Director of the Foundation, Mrs. Cindy Ezeugwu announcing that the Foundation had established 32 Adult Literacy Centres in the Senatorial District and provided basic education to over 10,000 adult learners who had either graduated or still studying.
Senator Ekweremadu said that while 50 students from each of Awgu, Aninri, Ezeagu, Udi and Oji River Local Governments as well as 25 from Igboeze South and Enugu North LGAs received N40,000 individually as bursary awards, 19 students got a cheque for N400,000 each in scholarship for a four-year university education programme.
An elated Senator Ekweremadu stressed that although the Foundation was running other programmes, the dearest to him was the educational programme “because education is the key”. He described the day as one of the happiest in his life for three reasons.
He said: “One is that for the first time in 16 years, we have true and genuine peace in Enugu State under the leadership of His Excellency, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. People can attend functions without fear of molestation, losing their jobs and without fear of losing influence.
“I am also happy because about a year or two ago, nobody was certain that IKEOHA Foundation and its programmes would continue because there was fear that Senator Ike Ekweremadu would not go back to the Senate and this programme could die. It is by the grace of God and prayers of the beneficiaries and potential beneficiaries that we were able to go back to the National Assembly”.
He emphasised that the students of the adult literacy programmes could still achieve greater heights despite receiving education late in life.
He recalled: “We had a senator in the 7th Senate. He used to stay on the street like any other person. He used to follow trailers to Enugu to offload tomatoes. But one day, he embraced education by teaching himself how to read and write and eventually found himself in Teachers Training School. From there, he went to college of education, and finally he found himself in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That is the power of education.
“The Governor of Benue State was working at the motor park. He said this when he came to the Senate to be screened as a minister. From the motor park, he left back for school and became an officer of the PDP, became a minister and today, he is the governor of Benue State. That is the power of education”.
He called on the Governor of Enugu State and the State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party to consider the graduates of the Ikeoha Adult Literacy Proramme for Councillorship positions in the next Local Government elections to “help encourage others who are sitting behind to see what education can do”.
He reminded the beneficiaries of the bursary and scholarship awards that they were being supported so they could also support others.
“The idea is for us to help you so that you can help others. The government cannot do everything and that is why we also call on every individual, those who are privileged to support others; working together, we can lift ourselves up in unity”, he added.
He stressed: “The little help that you give to people can make all the meaning and difference. Whatever your status in life, what will remain when you leave is the support you have been able to give to the society; the assistance you have given to others and those who can say, without you, it could have been worse for me. All things will pass away, but what we do as human beings with the opportunity we have will never pass away”.
In his goodwill message, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Alhaji Jibrin Paiko, who was represented by Mrs. Temitola Aguda noted that the Commission had been able to increase the literacy level in Enugu State from 56% in 2009 to 62% due to the Foundation's efforts.
On his part, the Governor of Enugu, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, commended Senator Ekweremadu for being a shining example in human capital development in Enugu State over the years.
He announced the donation of the sums of N2.5 million by the Enugu State Government, N2.5 million by the LGA in Enugu West, and N5 million by lawmakers representing Enugu West in the State and federal parliaments.
Also, the member representing the South East on the Board of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Tetfund, Chief Chinedu Onu, recounted Senator Ekweremadu's immense support to educational development since 1997 and donated a hundred units of computers to the Foundation to assist it in its ICT training programmes.
In her address, the Director of Enugu State Agency for Mass Literacy, Mrs. Onyia Ifeoma lauded the Ikeoha Foundation initiatives for tackling illiteracy and poverty.
NUJ Chairman faults Forefieture of Nnamani's Property to FG
As the Federal High Court in Lagos recently ordered the forfeiture of multi-billion naira assets allegedly belonging to a former Enugu State Governor, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, to the Federal government, the Editor-in-Chief of The Starlite Newspapers and the Chairman of the Nsukka Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Harrison Ogara has queried the rationale behind the forfeiture of the property to the Federal Government.
According to Mr. Ogara, the property were assets acquired by the former governor with the fund belonging to the Enugu State people adding that the Court acted in error by stating that the property so seized be released to the Federal Government.
Mr. Ogara who made this call in an interview with journalists in his office said the judgment was a pure miscarriage of justice aimed at further impoverishing the good people of the state. He called on the Enugu State Government to pursue the matter by challenging the judgment of the court in the Court of Appeal adding that if the government fails to do so, he would urge other organizations and members of the Civil Society to take up the matter in the Appeal Court.
Among the forfeited assets are undeveloped properties and transmission equipment of Rainbownet Limited; properties of Hill Gate Investment Limited/Cuena Phones Limited; assets of Cosmo 105.5FM, and 22 duplexes at Ebeano Estate (now Fidelity Estate).
Others are Rainbownet's shares in Zenith Bank and Guarantee Trust Bank, with a combined account balance of N4.6million; as well as monies in its bank accounts worth about N34.8million.
The balances are in different accounts with GTBank (N313,700); Sterling Bank (N986,958); Ecobank (N24.5million); First City Monument Bank (N3.8million) and Zenith Bank (N761,156).
EFCC said it is awaiting details of balances in Rainbownet's 10 accounts with Access Bank.
Rainbownet's undeveloped properties forfeited include seven plots at Independence Layout; 567.96 Square meters (Sqm) at Abakpa; 574.96 Sqm at Emene and 2,951.98 Sqm at Achara Layout.
Others to be forfeited include thousands of square metres of properties at Abia State, namely Ogbor Hill (914.633), Abayi (one and half plots), Port Harcourt Road (1,856.449), Ariaria (640.32), Umungasi (573.263) and Assannetu (954.396), as well as Abakiliki, Ebonyi State (one plot).
Others are in Onitsha, Anambra State, such as those at Barracks (one plot), Nkpor (1088.644), Awada (465.14), Fegge (one plot); as well as 2,200.06 square miles of land at Okpumo, Awka.
The company is also to loose 693.636 square meters of undeveloped property located opposite the War Museum, Umuahia.
Assets of Rainbownet Communications Limited, including Central Switch Room, Microwave Radio, Rectifier, Microwave Backhaul Transmission, among others at various locations in Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia and Imo states are to be forfeited.
The former senator was charged along with his former aide, Sunday Anyaogu and six firms- Rainbownet, Hillgate Nigeria, Cosmos FM, Capital City Automobile Nig Ltd, Renaissance University Teaching Hospital and Mea Mater Elizabeth High School.
Justice Mohammed Yunusa later split Nnamani's trial from his co-accused as he was abroad receiving treatment.
EFCC re-arraigned them on 105 counts of money laundering and economic crimes involving about N4.5billion.
Part of the alleged laundered money was from the Excess Crude Oil Funds meant for some local government areas, including Aninri, Enugu South, Agwu, Igbo Etiti and Isi Uzor, which was allegedly transferred to Nnamani's bank account in the United States.
The crime was allegedly committed while Nnamani was governor between 1999 and 2007. The defendants pleaded not guilty.
However, after the trial was split, four of the companies on May 19 pleaded guilty to a 10-count amended charge through their counsel.
The companies are Rainbownet, Cosmos FM, Capital City Automobile and Renaissance University Teaching Hospital.
They were alleged to have failed to comply with lawful inquiry made by the Commission.
On June 11, Justice Yunusa adjourned to July 7 for review of facts and sentences after EFCC's lawyer, Kelvin Uzozie told the court that he was still trying to get a list of all the companies' assets.
He prayed the court to convict the companies in view of their plea after tendering some documents, including the assets' schedule.
He also urged the court to make an order of the assets' forfeiture, and for the commission to be involved in their management.
The companies' lawyer, Mr Ifeanyi Ezeome, during the alucutus (plea for mercy), urged the court to temper justice with mercy since they were first offenders.
Justice Yunusa said a company can be treated as a natural person in law and held that: “It is hereby ordered that the properties listed in the schedule be forfeited to the Federal Government.”
He adjourned till November 12 for the trial of the remaining accused persons.
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