In their wild imagination and falsehood, this filthy blackmailers linked the duo to a Sahara Reporters story wherein the gazette views of the Cross River State Government on the Report of the financial impropriety/verification standing committee indicted the Hon. Minister of Niger Delta, Pastor Usani Usani of corrupt enrichment.
The committee was set up by the Donald Duke led Cross River State Government in 1999. These findings of the Committee was pursuant to the commission of Inquiry Law Cap. 27, Laws of Cross River State of Nigeria 1979 as amended. Before Donald Duke took over as governor, the hallmark of the principal officers of the last military administration was corruptively exploits.
The Financial Impropriate Committee was made up of eminent Cross Rivers which was given approval for it exist on 18th June, 1999 was inaugurated on Monday, 21st June, 1999 but a charge to examine the Financial Books/Bank Statements and other records of Government Ministries and Institutions with a view among others to ascertaining the assets and liability of the ministries and institutions.
Also to ascertain the perpetrators of such financial improprieties with a rider to record sanctions against them. It is against this background that Pastor Usani Usani was severally indicted by the committee which findings were accepted by the state government in a white paper.
Pains have been taken to reproduce all these official details as contained in the OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS NO. 5 of 2000 because one is minded to address the legal purport of its content vis-Ã -vis the intended blackmail.
First, it is pertinent to point it out that the Sahara Reporters is a world class hot news outfit based on well investigated stories. Official government gazette is a public document.
If Sahara Reporters premised their report on the official indictment of the Hon. Minister for Niger Delta on the views of government, the only competent body to set that aside is a court of competent jurisdiction.
Above all considerations and as a guide to the blackmailers behind this seed of discord, it is pertinent to state that by the Evidence Act 2011, an official gazette is in a class of official documents which serves as official communication of the government of any state thereof. Its contents pursuant to Section 113(a)(1) of Evidence Act is prima fair proof of any fact of public nature which the gazette is intended to notify.
The question is how is Ndoma-Egba SAN or Okoi Obla involved in this matter? Do they have the locus to direct Sahara Reports as to what to report? Ndoma-Egba is truly too big and indeed polished to be associated with this pettiness and cheap political blackmail.
Ndoma-Egba is in politics to move the state and the APC forward. As a sign of this commitment, he and other committed members and party stakeholders in the presence of Hon. Minister for Niger Delta Ministry, Pastor Usani Usani, acting State Chairman John Ochala, State Security, Victor Ebong, Prince Jedy-Agba, Chief Okoi Obla and many others, offered to pay 3 months outstanding APC State staff salaries whilst Jedy-Agba paid for two months, thereby alleviating the suffering of party members. Who else contributed apart from this two?
Senator Ndoma-Egba before the said Cross River State Government gazette containing government view was published he was not a politician and not a member of the PDP. Both Ndoma-Egba and Chief Obla cannot scheme to replace our Pastor Usani Usani. They have both been given serious assignments by the President to occupy themselves. They cannot therefore join issues with the little minds around.
It is pertinent to point out to the blackmailers that neither Ndoma-Egba nor Chief Obla has the competence to dictate to the President who should be or not be given appointment. It is only God who gives position even if he has to do it through the instrumentality of another. The professional gossips, blackmailers masquerading under the cover of social media to dish out half truths should desist from this unwholesome attempt to dent the image of these respectable sons of the soil.
The President has given Ndoma-Egba the assignment to refocus and reposition the NDDC to benefit the people in the zone. He has also charge Chief Obla with the challenge to assist him give a direction in the prosecution of corruption cases.
Let Ndoma-Egba and Obla do their job with less organized distraction from perpetual controversial politicians with little ideas. Pastor Usani Usani should not be distracted. He should be allowed and encouraged to make an impact in the Niger Delta Ministry.
Chief (Barr) Utum Eteng
Private Legal Practitioner,
71B IBB Way, Calabar.
08034008723, 09050032600
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