Mr Ugochukwu Uwaeke is a front line politician in Abia state and chieftain of PDP. In this interview with journalists in Umuahia, Uwaeke speaks on the Justice Okon Abang’s judgement among others. SAM OBINNA IBE was there.
Sir, what is your take on the Owerri Federal High Court ruling that absolved Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of any wrong doing in his tax documents?
Thank God who restores the hope of Abia people by given Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu judgment through the Federal High Court Owerri. Recall that in 2015 Abia people massively voted for Dr. Ikpeazu, some people went to courts that Ikpeazu had issues with his tax certificate. What Justice Allagoa did was affirmation of the obvious having perused the document presented by Ikpeazu. The eminent jurist came to the conclusion that Dr. Ikpeazu had no issue as far as tax certificate is concerned.
What is your reaction on the statement credited to Dr. Uche Ogah that Dr. Ikpeazu is marking time?
What Ogah said is expected of him because he wants to be governor, but Abians elected Ikpeazu as their governor. I see that statement as a mistake, a statement coming from a disappointed guber aspirant.
The decision of Federal High Court Abuja presided by Justice Okon Abang was an aberration; it was a mistake for the learned judge to assume that Ikpeazu forged his tax certificate that statement was a misplacement of truth or facts. Ikpeazu has no direct involvement because his taxes are deducted at source, so documents issued to him came from the same state government that employed him. So onus of proof lies with Board of Internal Revenue and the Chairman came out and clarified the issues that the tax receipts issued to Ikpeazu are genuine and from the Board. I think this is a mix – up somewhere for the judgment.
However, we have to thank Justice Abang for handing the case to Appeal Court, I am confident that Appeal Court will do justice to that matter. There is a precedent in Owerri Federal High Court that affirms that Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu tax document is in order. I hope Appeal Court will toe the same line of Owerri Federal High Court while giving verdict on the matter. Thank God, our legal system allows a window of appeal which Okezie Ikpeazu had approached. Eminent jurists in this country know that Ikpeazu has the right to appeal against the Abuja Federal Court ruling on the 27th June, 2016. People of Abia State voted overwhelmingly for Ikpeazu, it would amount to broad day light coup for INEC to attempt issue certificate of return to another person in Abia State. We will exhaust our case to its logical conclusion at the end of the day Ikpeazu will emerge victorious.
Would you say the Owerri Federal High Court judgment has reduced the tension in the state?
Yes, the decision of Federal High Court Owerri has reduced tension to its barest minimum in the state. The judgment has added a vista to those who will sit on the case at Appeal. I hope that the appeal will toe the same line of judgment that calmed down fray nerves.
On Justice Okon Abang ruling that Governor Ikpeazu remains sacked?
He was standing his ground on the judgment given against Ikpeazu in order to maintain his reputation knowing that there is a window of Appeal. I know the Appeal Court will do justice to the matter. I know it is not easy for a jurist to make the statement and disown or reverse himself that is why he transferred the matter to Court of Appeal.
How do you see to reaction of Ngwa people condemning their brother, Barr F.N. Nwosu for dragging his kinsman, Governor Ikpeazu to court when he knows that the Governorship slot was zoned to their Abia South and Dr. Ikpeazu his brother emerging as governor?
Barr F.N. Nwosu has the right to appeal, but he should have looked at the merit of the case. Ngwa people we know are the largest homogenous people in this state played their part in the creation of Abia State. History of the state cannot be complete without mentioning the path finder role played by some of the Ngwa sons. Ngwa nation has not been able to produce a governor since the creation of Abia State. PDP as a party that believes in equity, fairness and good conscience zoned the governorship slot of 2015 to Abia South, then governor, Chief T.A. Orji overwhelmingly supported the zoning to Abia South.
In the primary, Ikpeazu defeated other contestants with a wide margin. So F.N. Nwosu supposed to know that the collective aspiration of his Ngwa people far outweighs his, 99% of his Ngwa people are solidly behind Ikpeazu, so it will be a sacrilege to Ngwa Nation if Barr. F.N. Nwosu continues with this case given eminent personalities ofthe people behind Ikpeazu ,championed by no less personalities like Elder Emma Adaelu, Senator Adolphus Wabara, Senator Enyi Abaribe and other heavy weight politicians of Ngwa sons and daughters, coupled with unflinching support given to Ngwa nation by their old Bende brothers, I don’t see Nwosu having a head way.
One expected him to have respect for all these personalities I have mentioned not forgotten royal blessing of His Eminence, Eze Bernard Enweremadu, the Ezeukwu of Ngwaukwu nation. So I don’t expect him make a head way particularly as he comes from the same Obingwa with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu. I expect him to embrace his brother, his ideas about the governance of this state will be addendum to the one we have seen in Dr. Ikpeazu who has redefined leadership in Abia State stepping in the foundation laid by his predecessor in the development of Abia State. Nwosu should withdraw his case with Ikpeazu forthwith.
This court case exposed the division in PDP in that some of the big wigs such as: Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha and Chief Uche Akwukwaegbu etc pitch tent with Dr. Uche Ogah instead of Governor Ikpeazu who is the leader of the party in the State. What is your take on this?
The party is a very big umbrella with the capacity to accommodate all; the party is concerned with the protection of the mandate given it by Abians. Don’t want external greedy forces to truncate the mandate.
The party strictly advised its member, Dr. Uche Ogah to withdraw all legal suits instituted against Ikpeazu. On the big wigs, Chief Uche Akwukwaegbu is a big wig in his own right, politically speaking; his relevance is not beyond the circumference of his house. He is not really a big issue to PDP but we acknowledge he is a member of PDP.
On Onyejeocha is an act of desperation in her morbid to obsession to perpetuate herself in the seat of Isuikwuato Umunneochi Federal Representation, having seen the hand writing on the wall by the party forthwith during the just concluded ward and LGA congresses, so she is fighting to remain relevant though aimlessly.
The only thing to describe the picture of Hon. Onyejeocha as seen at Imo airport where she joined those that welcomed Ogah to the state can be seen as an act of desperation. I am from Umunneochi LGA where Onyejeocha also hails from, that seat has rotated between Isuikwuato and Umunneochi. Isuikwuato has magnanimously allowed us to retain that seat for 12 years in the person of Hon. Onyejeocha. It would amount to injustice for Hon. Onyejeocha to seek to remain in that seat after this political dispensation.
Assuming her predecessor who came from Isuikwuato refused to vacate the seat for Umunneochi people will she have the opportunity of becoming an Honourable member?
If the people of Isuikwuato had nursed that ambition to perpetuate it, would it have gotten to Umunneochi? Our people from Umunneochi resolved to return the seat to Isuikwuato so that they can serve their turn. So what she did was act of desperation perfected by external forces from Anambra State who are friends of Onyejeocha but God in his infinite mercies crashed that attempted civilian Coup-d’état on our dear Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu. My advice to Chief Uche Akwukwaegbu (Bawas) and my sister, Hon. Lady Nkeiruka Onyejeocha is to take it easy because good people of Abia are behind Ikpeazu. I want to advise my sister to aspire to higher political office; she should know that seat is rotational between people of Umunneochi and Isuikwuato. If she aspires for higher office, our people will support her, for the seat of Federal House, it is already reserve to Isuikwuato people.
Do you think Ogah is aware of Onyejeocha’s game plan to perpetuate herself in the federal house at expense of his Isuikwuato people whose turn it is to produce the next honourable member?
I don’t think Uche Ogah is fully aware of the game plan of Onyejeocha. Ogah is only a pun in the political chessboard of this political desperadoes. Let me use this opportunity to give my kind advise to Ogah should not ruine his political reputation or chances.
He should remember the good people of Abia have noted his philanthropic gestures which had earned him a place in the hall of fame of eminent Abians. He should be mindful of the fact that Abians are people who believe in equity,justice and fair play. These factors accounted for why Abians massively threw their fully weight for Ukwa Ngwa candidate in the last election, not that Abians or PDP members hate him but because Abians are people of good conscience who have no reason of denying our brothers from Abia South their rights, therefore he should not be pushed by anybody to destroy his wide acceptability.He should recall the kind of goodwill Abians shown to him,therefore,he should not ruine his chances in 2023 by engaging in a political fight that will bring him into a coalition with the Ukwa Ngwa axis whose votes,as a must for whoever that would want to take a shot for seat of Abia governorship.His ambition already has been interpreted by generality of Abia people as against their collective aspiration.
As a brother,my advise is for him tone down his ambition and focus more on returning the seat of Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency to his Isuikwuato people come 2019.
Posterity would not judge him fairly, if with his influences, wealth he is unable to recover that seat that eludes his people for 16 years, the best thing he would do for his people is to ensure the seat returns to his people. My Umunneochi people are wiling to ensure that the seat returns to them, therefore he should play a leading role to ensure the seat returns to his Isuikwuato people.
I also advise him to take it easy, tone down his ambition, work more to build political bridges by God’s grace in 2023 when Governor Ikpeazu must have finished his tenure he stands a better chance of succeeding him.