Against the backdrop of the recent claim by the former Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Ben Uwajumogu, that the impeachment of the former Deputy Governor of Imo State, Sir Jude Agbaso was in order, the latter has reacted branding the former as a liar.
Uwajumogu had at an explosive interview said he had no regret whatsoever on the impeachment of Agbaso as it underwent Due process. It would be recalled that it was during the tenure of the former Ihitte/Uboma lawmaker that Agbaso was removed under controversial circumstances in 2013 during Okorocha’s first tenure.
But in a swift reaction to counter the claims of the former speaker who is now the Senator Representing Okigwe zone at the National Assembly, Agbaso described the politician from Ihitte/ Uboma as a liar who is pretending to be ignorant of shaddy deals perpetuated by some elements to rope him into trouble and later sack him.
While stating that he has restricted himself from joining issues with anyone over the purported impeachment, Agbaso stressed that “it is amazing the former speaker who oversaw all these would forget so easily to lie so blatantly”.
In a rejoinder from Agbaso made available to Trumpeta, the former Deputy Governor asserted.
“The least I can say is that I am very shocked at Chief Uwajimogu’s amnesia or ignorance of the facts of my purported impeachment.
However, to set the records straight as regards points and issues raised by Chief Uwajimogu , I posit as follow ; My purported Impeachment did not follow due process. The investigative panel of the Imo state House of Assembly (The Six Man Panel) did not offer me fair hearing. A contrived outcome had been predetermined at the instance of the Governor. Chief Ben Uwajimogu and his co-travellers merely followed the script.
My law suit in defense of my fundamental Rights (Rights to Fair hearing) is still pending at the Supreme Court.
“Chief Uwajimogu must recall that out of the eleven essential and compulsory steps which must be taken to effect the impeachment of a Deputy Governor, not even four of them were taken.
It’s on record that the judicial panel on my Purported Impeachment sat on the 28th February 2013, heard the testimonies from invitees, compiled the records, sent same to the House of Assembly which was supposed to be on recess, the Assembly received the records, supposedly deliberated and concurred with same and effected my purported impeachment all in one day. I wonder how that could be termed, “following due process”.
“Chief Ben Uwajimogu was aware that the contractor Jpros Ltd (Joseph Dina) was brought to Imo state by the Governor and his contract was awarded at the instance of the Governor who also determined the value of the contract.
It was also to the knowledge of Chief Uwajimogu that the Governor ordered the payment to Messers Jpros Ltd without recourse to the Ministry of Works or the Commissioner thereof. Jpros Ltd was paid directly on the instruction of the Governor via his Principal Secretary and the Accountant General; and that was the reason for the gross overpayment of the contract.
There is really no need today for chief Uwajimogu to deny knowledge of these truths.
“Chief Uwajimogu claims that Joseph Dina of Jpros Ltd, communicated with me through MTN SMS/TEXTS. There was no such communication between Joseph Dina and myself.
The investigative panel never afforded me the opportunity, to secure and tender my MTN call Log. It is on record that the same call log was obtained by me from MTN within four days of the Panel sitting and it showed in reality that there was no communication whatsoever between Joseph Dina and myself. As I was about to release this call log to the press, the government fast forwarded the impeachment process and concluded a process that ordinarily would have taken more than 45 days in one day.
“I will further point out that Chief Uwajimogu was aware within this period that the N458 Million Jpros (Joseph Dina) purportedly bribed me with had been traced to his accounts in Dubai and Lebanon. Three N325 million amounting to $1,930,000 then, was found in Blom Bank SAL account in Lebanon belonging to Joseph Alim Dina; N133 million amounting to $ 800,000 then was found in HSBC account in Dubai belonging to the same Joseph Dina.
“These monies were transferred to these accounts through the two Bureau de Change companies Jpros was doing business with which he claimed were my companies. The investigation of these companies, Three Brothers Concepts Limited and IHSAN BDC Limited, through their CAC’s records proved that their directors were of Northern Nigerian origin and had no dealings with me or my associates whatsoever.
“However these companies had threads of relationship with Jpros and the Government of Imo State through Macdonald Akano who was the Special Adviser to the Governor on Road Projects Monitoring.
“When the N458 Million exchanged hands between Mr. MacDonald Akano and Jpros Ltd, Mr Akano was admitted into Jpros Ltd as the second highest share holder of the company. (This document is already in the public domain)
It was the same Akano acting in concert with the conspiratorial ring accompanied Joseph Dina to the panel to lie against me”.
Agbaso went further to lash at Uwajumogu for allegedly abandoning his duty and functioned more as a contractor than legislator during his tenure as Speaker.
“It is on record that the infrastructural works undertaken under my watch as commissioner still endure till date. I served the Government well, gave very useful advises to and served the Governor well unlike Chief Uwajimogu. Let me state here that things went awry in the state when Chief Uwajimogu abandoned his job as speaker of the House of Assembly and became a contract awarding entity onto himself. Chief Uwajimogu setup several companies owned by him with juicy road contracts. Most of these contracts were shabbily executed and he received payments in full for them. Today no sign of these roads that the companies built exist in the state. Documents to his “made in China roads”, executed and or not executed but fully paid will be made public in due course.
“The testament to the above are his Asphalt plants and construction equipment illicitly obtained from the state.
In Chief Uwajimogu’s role as the quasi commissioner for works his backhanded plays with his associates and cronies were quite notorious and common knowledge in the state.
“It is therefore truly uncharitable for such a character to accuse me of not discharging my duties as Commissioner and Deputy Governor well.
On the state of the case, Agbaso has these to say “It is true that I went to court to challenge my purported impeachment. It is also true that I lost a tangential interlocutory appeal at the Supreme Court. My impeachment challenge suit is still on; well and alive in Imo state high court under Justice Ikpeama. The state government has done all within its enormous powers to stall my case but we are sure justice will eventually prevail.
“What is baffling however is how Chief Uwajimogu , a former speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly and a sitting Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not know that the matter is alive in the state High Court . How ignorant can a man become”, the statement added.
