Imo Speaker’s Aide Threatens Activist Over Corruption Petition

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News, Press Releases Friday, May 15th, 2015

An Aide of the Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly has threatened to deal with Kenneth Uwadi, the President of Youths for Human Rights Protection and Transparency Initiative (YARPTI) who is also the Coordinator of YAHVCP .

The offence of Uwadi was the petition he sent to the Nigerian President Elect where he called for the rejection of the nomination of the Imo Speaker Mr Benjamin Uwajumogu as a Nigerian Minister citing corruption.

The Aide , Emeka Ahaneku who is the Speaker’s Special Assistant on Media threatened to deal with Uwadi by all means and has since been using pseudonym to write articles on social media branding the Activist so many unprintable names such as blackmailer, thief, criminal, monster etc and has promised him that his principal(Imo Speaker) will see that he is jailed soon.

The actions of the Speaker’s aide is part of Uwajumogu’s desperation to clampdown on freedom of speech. It is also borne out of his deep-seated zero tolerance of any opposition to his actions or inactions.

A source at the Imo State House of Assembly has informed YARPTI and YAHVCP of a new plot to kidnap Uwadi and whisk him to Owerri so as to hurriedly jail him.

Several attempts in the past to trap him had failed. On March 8th 2014 his residence in Egbema of Ohaji/Egbema LGA of Imo State was invaded by armed uniformed police officers. The invaders stormed his place in a crude military-like assault asking for him and ransacking his place but he was not at home.

On several occasion Uwadi has condemned the looting of over 3 billion naira Imo tax payers money by the Imo Speaker. It is no secret that he is a critic of the Imo State Government.

He wrote several articles in several newspapers and online blogs criticizing the Imo State government. Although he has proved beyond all reasonable doubts that his criticisms of government is due to his hatred for corruption in government and an indelible love to see youths of Nigeria including Imo get employed but corrupt politicians see him as a threat.

The call for the rejection of Imo Speaker as Minister or Ambassador or any other public position by YARPTI was due to the following 5 reasons:

(1)The said Uwajumogu has not cleared his name of the heavy corruption allegations leveled against him by his former media aide Citizen Samuelson Iwuoha. Uwajumogu has several explanations to offer the people of Imo State over the petition forwarded to the EFCC by his aide dated 18th Feb 2014 . The said petition to EFCC was also made public in several newspapers and magazines and also on the internet. The petition disclosed how fraudulent contracts for road projects worth billions of naira were awarded by him as Speaker of Imo House of Assembly without due process and how he used the proceeds of the crime to acquire several properties in Nigeria and abroad whereas the same state is in dire need of infrastructures and is facing serious youths unemployment issues including unpaid worker’s salaries.

(2)He should tell Nigerians how he acquired the following properties as revealed by his aide – N500million naira Asphalt plant along Onitsha road Owerri,15 mansions along Chief Ben Uwajumogu Street, Federal Housing Estate Umuguma Owerri – West LGA,JASMINE Hotels and Suites behind Imo Concorde Hotel valued at over N70 million, Over 200 plots of land located in Owerri West LGA, N400million naira Mansion at Ihitte /Uboma, 2 other mansions at Ihitte/Uboma,Mansions in Aba and Umuahia , N760 million naira Crush Rock Industry in Ebonyi State, N500 million naira private hotel in Abuja, N750 million naira private hotel in Lagos. The pictures of all the properties he acquired with stolen public funds were also sent to the EFCC and also made public on the internet .

(3)The same aide accused him of rituals and occult practices and explained how he (Uwajumogu) summoned all his senior aides in the presence of a native doctor where he (Uwajumogu) was stack naked and asked them to drink a concoction and kiss his manhood.

(4) The same aide accused Uwajumogu of attempting to kill him for exposing his fraudulent activities. This matter was reported to the former Imo State commissioner of police Mr Abdulmajid Ali who bluntly refused to investigate it . Note that 3 of Uwajumogu’s aides have so far been assassinated, namely Pastor Emmanuel Adoba, Hon Kingsley Nkemka and Mr Chidi .

(5)He (Uwajumogu) committed heavy human rights violation in Imo State by ordering for the arrest of Citizen Samuelson Iwuoha together with his wife and dumped them in prison without trial for 11 months were they were subjected to torture which is against article 5 ,9 and 10 of the United Nations Universal declaration of Human Rights .

It is a fact that corruption is a big social problem militating against the development of the economy and the welfare of the citizens. According to a World Bank estimate, over $400billion have been looted by capitalist thieving politicians in Nigeria and their contractor allies from the nation’s wealth in the past 4 decades. There is no doubt that if these looted resources are made available and judiciously used, the economy and the living standard of the people will not be as deplorable as they are at the moment.

It is therefore imperative for every right thinking and change seeking Nigerian to join the total and merciless war against corruption in all ramifications. We are still saying strongly that he (Uwajumogu) does not deserve the position of Minister, Ambassador or any other public office .

By Amaka Didanda, YAHVCP Media Affairs