The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Hope Uzodinma

  • Okorocha: it will take God to market Uzodinma

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has said it will take God to market the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Hope Uzodinma.

    Okorocha said while it will be easy to deliver President Muhammadu Buhari, it will be impossible to convince anyone to vote for Uzodinma.

    The governor reiterated that he was not the problem of the embattled APC governorship candidate.

    A statement by his Chief Press Secretary Sam Onwuemeodo, said: “It would require God talking from heaven and telling Imo people that “Chief Hope Uzodinma is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased” before they would consider changing their minds. If not, Imo people know those who cannot be their governor. Uzodinma knows this fact and he should stop using the governor to deceive his sponsors

    “Adams Oshiomhole’s preferred governorship candidate has launched repeated media campaign of calumny against Governor Rochas Okorocha, giving the impression that the governor is the source of his woes.

    “But we wish to crave the indulgence of all men and women of truth to the fact that Governor Rochas Okorocha is not the problem of Chief Hope Uzodinma as the APC governorship candidate. The major problem Uzodinma has is self-inflicted. Imo people know him, and he has the choking problem convincing them to vote for him to become their governor. The latest story on the APC candidate is that he has been banned from travelling out for alleged treasury looting. It was not Okorocha, who slammed the travel ban on him.

    “He is in court over a $12.5 million contract; that does not concern Rochas. He is in court for asset declaration; that has nothing to do with Rochas. Chief Uzodinma is also in court for issuance of dud cheque; this matter also has nothing to do with Rochas Okorocha, among other similar cases. It is also not an oversight that the APC candidate has not made his profile available for people to see.

    “The people knew why they settled for Sam Mbakwe in 1979, Evan Enwerem in 1991, Achike Udenwa in 1999, Ikedi Ohakim in 2007 and Rochas Okorocha in 2011. There are certain ugly stories they do not like to hear about anybody aspiring to govern them.

    “Chief Uzodinma should be courageous enough to tell those sponsoring him where the problem lies. It is not Rochas.”

     

  • 2019: It will take God to market APC guber candidate, says Okorocha

    Imo State governor,  Rochas Okorocha, Wednesday night, said it will take God to market the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Hope Uzodinma to win the 2019 election.

    The Imo governor said that while it will be easy to deliver President Muhammadu Buhari, it will be impossible to convince any person to vote for the APC candidate,  Uzodinma.

    Okorocha also stated that he is not the problem of the embattled APC governorship candidate.

    A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Sam Onwuemeodo,  said, “it would require God talking from heaven and telling Imo people, “Chief Hope Uzodinma is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased” before Imo people could consider changing their minds. If not, Imo people know those who cannot be their governor. Chief Uzodinma knows this fact and he should stop using the governor to deceive his sponsors”.

    The statement continued that, “Adams Oshiomhole’s preferred governorship Candidate for All Progressives Congress, APC, Imo State, Chief Hope Uzodinma, has launched repeated media campaign of calumny against Governor Rochas Okorocha and giving the impression that his problem as the gubernatorial Candidate of Imo APC is the governor”.

    “And we wish to quickly crave the indulgence of all men and women of truth to State as follows; Governor Rochas Okorocha is not the problem of Chief Hope Uzodinma as the APC governorship candidate in the State”.

    “Chief Uzodinma problem is self-inflicted. Imo people who are going to vote on Election Day know him and he has the choking problem of how to convince them to vote for him to become their governor. The latest story on the APC candidate is that he has been banned from travelling out over allegation of treasury looting. It was not Okorocha who slammed the travel ban on him”.

    He added that “he is in Court over 12.5million dollars Contract. That does not concern Rochas.   He is in Court for asset declaration issue. That has also nothing to do with Rochas.

    “Chief Uzodinma is also in court over issuance of Dud Cheque. This matter also has nothing to do with Rochas Okorocha, among other similar cases. It is also not an oversight that the APC candidate has not made his profile available for people to see.

    “Before now, Chief Uzodinma never attended any APC meeting in the State. He has never visited the governor either before or after he was handed over the ticket of the Party.

    “Chief Uzodinma went to the Senate in 2011 through the Court. In 2015, he knew how his victory also came. But this time, it is going to be a different ball game with strong governorship Candidates in AA, APGA, PDP, AP, LP, SDP, etc. Ahmed Gulak style or the 2015 stampede won’t be the case in 2019”.

    According to the statement, “Imo people knew why they settled for Sam Mbakwe in 1979. And Evan Enwerem in 1991, Achike Udenwa in 1999, Ikedi Ohakim in 2007 and Rochas Okorocha in 2011. There are certain ugly stories they do not like to hear about anybody aspiring to govern them.

    “Chief Uzodinma should be courageous enough to tell those sponsoring him where the problem lies. It is not Rochas. It is going to be easy to market Muhammadu Buhari and some other Candidates of the party”.

     

  • Judge who ordered Hope Uzodinma’s arrest dies

     

    The Abuja judge, who ordered the arrest and production of the Imo governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hope Uzodinma, has died.

    Judge Abdulwahab Mohammed of the Grade 1 Area Court, Kubwa, Abuja, The Nation learnt, died on Saturday at the National Hospital, Abuja.

    An official of the court told The Nation on Monday that Mohammed died at the National Hospital Abuja, to which he was rushed when he slumped on Saturday.

    The official said the late judge had his tooth extracted at the Kubwa General Hospital but suffered complications thereafter.

    It was learnt the judge has had frequent visits to the hospital to address the complications until he suddenly slumped last Saturday and had to be rushed to the National Hospital.

    The 32-year-old Mohammed, who was from Edo State, is said to have left behind a pregnant wife.

    In a letter in October this year, the late judge referred the case of criminal complaint, made against Uzodinma, a serving Senator, representing Orlu District, Imo State, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation and appropriate action.

    Mohammed resorted to referring the case to the EFCC following Uzodinma’s alleged consistent failure to attend court to answer to the complaint made against him and his firms by Chitex Ventures Ltd and Chima Akuzie, who claimed that the Senator issued them a N200 million UBA dud (bounced cheque).

    When the case came up again on October 29, Uzodinma was still absent in court, following which Judge Muhammad elected to refer the case to the EFCC for investigation and further necessary actions.

    Lawyer to the complainant in N200m dud cheque case, Oluwatosin Ojaomo said he heard about the news of the judge’s death and was shocked that such a young a brilliant man could die so suddenly.

     

  • Sen. Uzodinma denies arrest, remains focused on governorship race

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, has denied reports of his arrest.

    Some sections of the media have reported that the Special Presidential Investigation Panel on Recovery of Public Property arrested the lawmaker on Sunday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja.

    The reports indicated that the chairman of the Panel, Okoi Obono-Obla, said Uzodinma was arrested for failure of his company to execute a contract of 12 million dollars for dredging of Calabar channel.

    However, Uzodinma, Chairman, Senate Committee on Nigeria Customs Service, told newsmen in Abuja, that the reports may not be unconnected with his emergence as a governorship candidate.

    He vowed to remain focused on the governorship race in spite of attempts to distract him.

    He said he would not be distracted by people who were yet to come to terms with his emergence as the governorship candidate in state.

    Uzodinma said: “I was never arrested. I also read it in papers like every other Nigerian.”

    On the contract, the lawmaker said Niger Global, the company that was accused of the complicity, had only two per cent share in the contract.

    “Before I came to the senate, I came from the private sector. I was in oil and gas and marine operations. I operated Niger Global.

    “In 2004 we participated in an international deal and Nigeria Ports Authority was looking for partners to manage the channels and we were lucky.

    “We were one of the companies that formed the consortium to manage Calabar Channels.

    “Calabar Channels Management Company is a joint venture being operated by the NPA. They have the major shareholders.

    “They have 60 per cent shareholding and then the consortium of like six other companies had different shares.

    “Niger Global had five per cent share and there is a five member board, where NPA has three and the consortium of companies two.

    “Before I came to Senate, I was in the board and the technical partners to the consortium dredged the Calabar Channel under the supervision of the Calabar Management Board,” he said.

    The lawmaker expressed surprise that the allegations were coming several years after the contract, adding that it was a clear case of witch hunt.

    “All I know is that some aggrieved persons are behind this, otherwise where was this panel since 2004.

    “I was in the 7th Senate from 2011 to 2015, why did this issue not come out. I have been here in the 8th senate from 2015 to date why didn’t the issue come up.

    Read Also: Saraki describes his resignation call by Oshiomhole as joke

    “To the best of my knowledge, the company worked, even though I am not in the management anymore but I am still one of the minority shareholders of that company.

    “If there is any question that must be answered by the company, the majority shareholder should first answer their own query.

    “If anything, I am a serving senator and a ranking one at that and the Chairman of the Southern Senators Forum.”

    On allegations of non-declaration of asset, Uzodinma said coming from the private sector into politics, he was surprised at the request by the panel.

    “Before I joined politics, of course I came from the private sector that is why I became even surprised when the panel said I should declare my asset for the past 20 years.

    “I have never seen anywhere in any law where private people are made to declare their asset to government,” he said.

    However, he said he obliged the panel by sending his declaration form and copying the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami.

    “The Presidential Committee wrote me sometimes last month asking for my asset declaration form alleging that I did not declare my asset.

    “I replied and attached my declaration form and copied the Attorney General of the Federation whom I suppose they are working under.”

    The governorship candidate said he would not be deterred in ensuring that the people of Imo are liberated from the untold hardship they were subjected to.

    He said: “with what has happened in Imo State, I thought by now, some of these underdogs should repent but they are still plotting.

    “I thought what they would do in the spirit of democracy is to appreciate the fact that some people are now in the party and the party will be better for it.

    “It is not easy to do what I have done in recent times. To make sacrifice, I followed my people and encourage them to be in the ruling party.

    “So name calling, campaign of calumny and all of that is only a distraction. I have been around for sometimes and I understand the meaning of politics and I refused to be distracted.”

    He further denied inducing the APC National Chairman, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, in order to be made the party’s flag bearer in Imo.

    He called on the aggrieved persons and other stakeholders to work together to grow the country’s democracy.

    He added that “some of us believe that this country must grow and we must be given the opportunity to contribute our own quota to national development.”

  • I will reclaim my mandate before INEC deadline – Nwosu

    …. No plan to leave APC

    Former Chief of Staff to the Imo state governor, Uche Nwosu, Tuesday,  said that the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Adams Oshiomole, will give him back the party’s governorship ticket before the December 1 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline.
    Nwosu who was accorded a rowdy reception at the Sam Mbakwe Airport  by APC members, stated that he has no doubt that he will fly the party’s ticket in the 2019 governorship election.
    He dismissed as unfounded, reports that he is defecting from the APC to another where he hopes to actualize his ambition.
    According to him, the current  APC  governorship candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma, “will not be governor of the state”.
    He stated that, “Uzodinma is a tenant in APC”.
    Nwosu who is laying claim to the governorship ticket of the party in the state, said that the Court will dispense justice in the matter.
    In his words, “I am the lawful governorship candidate of APC in Imo state. Our National Chairman did not respect the  rule of law and the constitution of our party in substituting my name for senator Hope Uzodinma.
    “The records are very  clear. I won the first primary election on October 2.I also won the second primary held on October 6.The records are there.The police, INEC and DSS reports affirmed my victories.
    “It is only for a matter of time.We will get justice in court.my name shall be on the ballot. I shall be announced as the APC governorship candidate in Imo state. Hope Uzodinma won’t be governor.”
    “There is no truth in the rumour that I have dumped APC for Democratic Alternative. I  am still in APC.I am a founding member of the ruling party.I won the ticket of the party and I shall led APC to victory in Imo state in 2019”.

  • Nwosu counters Oshiomole, says I remain APC candidate

    The winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary for Imo State, Uche Nwosu, has described the decision by the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomole to substitute his name with that of Senator Hope Uzodinma as the governorship candidate as a violation of subsisting Court Order and unacceptable.

    Nwosu insisted that he remains the authentic candidate of the party, irrespective of Oshiomole’s announcement that he has forwarded Uzodinma’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s candidate.

    According to Nwosu, his candidacy is secured and cannot be truncated by the National Chairman or any other person, vowing that he will never abandon the mandate given to him by the party members to be their governorship candidate for the 2019 election.

    He expressed disappointment over Oshiomole’s action, adding that his statements and antics did not give hope to young people who hitherto had always looked up to him.

    In his words, “My mandate is still intact, I still remain the candidate of the APC, I am very much shocked with the National Chairman who is speaking from the both sides of his mouth as a man of that age I thought he would have been upright.

    “I am shocked that a man who has attained that age and who we should look up to as our role model has become somebody who many of us can no longer see as a role model again. I am shocked at the attitude of  the National Chairman which does not give hope to young people that mostly look up to him for years”.

    Nwosu however dismissed insinuations that he is defecting from the APC to pursue his ambition in another party, noting that he cannot abandon his mandate for any other party.

    He said, “I will not leave APC, I still remain the authentic candidate of that party, I still have a valid Court Oder restraining the party from submitting any other name and also restraining INEC from accepting any other name other than my name and the matter is in Court, so if they go anywhere and got another Court Order without knowing that there is a subsisting Court Order  that must have been done that in error, so the fact remains that I am the candidate of APC, it is just for a while and I will take up my mandate, I don’t have in mind to leave the mandate I  already have for another party”.

    Nwosu clarified further that, “the insinuation by the National Chairman that my ambition suffered setback because of the ambition of the Governor Rochas Okorocha is not true, my name is Ugwumba Uche Nwosu and not Rochas Okorocha, I am from Nkwerre Local Government Area, while he is from Ideato South LGA, there are two different things, if he has ambition to run for Senate and I have ambition to run for governor, so it doesn’t tally at all.

    “After all Oshiomole’s son is a member of the Edo State House of Assembly, who he nominated and he is the Chairman of the party and he is saying that Okorocha’s Senatorial ambition scuttled my governorship, he is a man that is supposed to  speak rightly and not deceive the people on air. I saw him on the Television when he was talking from both sides of his mouth, it is a pity that APC could have such a man as its National Chairman, I condemn his action and it is not acceptable”.

    Read Also: Anti-Oshiomole protest rocks Imo

    He submitted further that, “the same Ibrahim Agbabiaka Committee that conducted the governorship primary that Oshiomole is referring to as purported, is still the same Committee that conducted the National and State Assembly primaries, so how can you jettison the report of that same Committee”.

    He  urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the National Chairman of the party to order, stressing that his actions, especially as it bothers on the party’s primaries, may affect the victory of the party in 2019.

    Meanwhile Nwosu urged his supporters to remain steadfast, adding that, “we are not deterred, I am still in the race, if  Oshiomole thinks that he is a tin god at the secretariat that he can truncate people’s ambition, then my answer to him is that he is not God, he cannot stop my ambition, he cannot stop a divine mandate, he cannot stop the mandate of the people. I want to assure my teeming supporters that we are on the right course, not even Oshiomole can stop us, we are the right candidate and we will emerge victorious at the end of the day. I am very confident that I will be the next governor of the state in 2019”.

  • Imo: My name has not been dropped – Nwosu

    The winner of the Imo state governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Uche Nwosu, has described as unfounded and misleading, reports that his name has been dropped by the National Working Committee of the party.

    Nwosu said that the news trending on the online edition of one of the national dailies is a sponsored falsehood intended to create tension in the state.

    The online report had claimed that the NWC of the party had substituted Nwosu’s name with that of Senator Hope Uzodinma as the APC governorship candidate for Imo State.

    But reacting to the report, Nwosu said that he remains the authentic governorship candidate of the party, adding that the NWC of the party cannot contemplate any such action, when it has already upheld his candidacy.

    Read Also: Anti-Oshiomhole protest rocks Imo

    According to him, “Apart from available records, which showed that I am the authentic governorship candidate of our party, I also have a valid Court Order barring the partly and INEC from substituting my name. So the media house reporting that is obviously sponsored to do a hatchet job”.

    He stated further that, “There are no contentions to my victory at the Imo State governorship primary election. What we have in the records is that the governorship candidate of APC in Imo State is Uche Nwosu, not only that, I have a valid Court Order barring the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from receiving any other name that is not my name.

    “There is no contention in that, the only primary that was upheld was that of Agbabiaka, which I won and everybody knew it was the authentic primary. The earlier primary that was to be conducted by Ahmed Gulak  was cancelled and disbanded and a new Committee was reconstituted, so Gulak never conducted any governorship primary, the only primary that was done in Imo State is the one conducted by Agbabiaka which I won”.

  • Bench warrant on me, attempt to abuse court process – Uzodinma

    The Senator representing Imo West, Hope Uzodinma, Wednesday said that reports of warrant of arrest on him by an Abuja Area Court is an attempt by political opponents to abuse judicial process.

    Uzodinma in a statement by his Senior legislative aide, Ralph Nwosu, noted that the bench warrant was an attempt by his political detractors “to use a corporate body that deflated in the execution of a sub-contract it got from Nigeria Global, to twist facts and abuse judicial process.”

    The Imo West senator added that it was nothing but a clear orchestrated attempt to dent his soaring political image.

    Uzodinma insisted that it was unreasonable that a disagreement between two corporate citizens which had been a subject of litigation for some time and still pending at the Supreme Court would found its way to the Area Court.

    He stressed that the only explanation for the development was that political enemies were behind it.

    Uzodinma said, “The facts are clear. Chitek Engineering Limited was given a subcontract to supply 1,700 sheet piles at koko on or before March 2018. A bank cheque for two hundred million naira was consequently issued to UBA to transfer the valued to Chitek upon successful execution of the said contract.

    “Chitek failed to execute the contract and still proceeded to attempt to cash the cheque which was not issued in its name in the first place.

    “When the cheque was naturally returned, the company went to court to enforce payment to them.

    “They lost at the High Court and Appeal Court and the matter is now at the Supreme Court.”

    He noted that it was curious that the same company that went to the Supreme Court also went to an Abuja Area Court which had no jurisdiction over matters of limited liability companies.

    He said that the attempt to use the Area Court to issue an illegal order against the senator has however been quashed by an Abuja Federal High Court on Tuesday.

    “The lawmaker advised the public to ignore the fake news trending in the social media over the so called bench warrant,” he said.

    A Kubwa Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Tuesday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Senator Uzodinma for allegedly issuing N200 million dud cheque.‎

    Uzodinma, a serving senator representing Imo-West, Smiec Engineering and Chemical Construction Company, Niger Global Engineering and Technical Company, were charged with alleged issuance of N200 million dud cheque to Chitex Ventures and Chima Akuzie.

    The judge, Mr Abdulwahab Mohammed, said the defendant was absent on the last adjourned date of Sept. 11, but his counsel, Eze Oguaju promised to make him available on Sept.18.

    Mohammed issued a bench warrant against the defendant and entered a plea of not guilty for the other defendants, relying on Section 478 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).‎

    The section provides that a court shall order a plea of not guilty ‎to be entered and the trial shall proceed as though the corporation involved had duly entered a plea of not guilty.‎

    The judge adjourned the matter until Sept. 25 for hearing.‎

    Chitex Ventures Ltd and Chima Akuzie, the complainants, had made a Direct Criminal Complaint against the defendants over alleged issuance of a UBA N200 million dud cheque.

    The complainant’s counsel, Oluwatosin Ojaomo, had earlier urged the court to invoke the provisions of Section 131 of the ACJA against the defendant, by issuing a warrant of arrest against the defendant.‎

    He further stated that the defendants were absent in court in spite the fact that they were aware of September 18 fixed for definite arraignment.

     

  • BREAKING: Court orders arrest of Sen Uzodinma

    A court in Abuja has ordered the police to arrest Senator Hope Uzodinma (representing Orlu Zone, Imo West), and produce him before  September 25 this year.

    Justice Abdulwahab Mohammed of the Grade 1 Area Court, Kubwa Abuja gave the order on Tuesday following Uzodinma’s failure to attend court to respond to a direct criminal complaint pending against him.

    “Pursuant to Section 131 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, a bench warrant is hereby issued against Senator Hope Uzodinma in view of his failure to attend court to answer to the complaint pending against him,” the judge said.

    The complaint was issued against Uzodinma and his two companies by Chitex Ventures Ltd and Chima Akuzie, who claimed that the Senator issued them a N200 million UBA dud cheque (bounced cheque).

     

    Details later…

  • Imo 2019: Nwosu tipped for APC ticket

    …as Madumere, Uzodinma, Eche others weigh option

     

    The issue of who gets the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State has dominated political debates and discussions in recent times, especially when it has become obvious that the party will retain power in the state in 2019.

    Political gladiators and aspirants have been forging alliances and wooing forces within the party to ensure that they carry the day.

    Those contesting the party’s governorship ticket include, former Chief of Staff to the State Governor, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, former Secretary to the State Government, George Eche, Senator Hope Uzodinma, former Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere, Engr. Chucks Ololo and Sir Jude Ejiogu.

    But Nwosu has been tipped as the aspirant that will likely clinch the party’s ticket ahead of the party primaries, having the uppermost control of the APC delegates.

    Another factor that gave the youthful former Chief of Staff the edge over other aspirants, is the unflinching backing of the state governor, Rochas Okorocha, who has severally endorsed him as his preferred successor.

    Aside from the governor’s support, Nwosu has firm control of the structure of the party in the state, being instrumental in the victory of the APC faction that was inaugurated after the contentious party primaries.

    Already, the State Executive Committee of the party, has adopted indirect primary as the mode to elect the party’s candidates, which further places Nwosu in overwhelming advantage over other contenders.

    More so the coast became clearer for the former Chief of Staff, after his fiercest opponent and leader of the Imo APC Coalition Group, which was vehemently opposed to his ambition, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, defected to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) after losing out in the APC congress.

    Read Also: Gunmen kill Police Sergeant in Imo

    The Nation also gathered that most of those that bought and submitted the APC governorship forms in the state are only bidding for time to defect to other parties as a result of the fact that they cannot match Nwosu in an indirect primary that will be decided by the current delegates.

    To buttress this assumption, members of the Coalition Group, also known as the Imo Allied Forces, have opposed the indirect primary mode adopted by the SEC and instead demanded for a direct primary.

    Meanwhile the State Chairman of the party, Daniel Nwafor told The Nation that, “the state chapter of the party in line with the decision reached at the NEC meeting, met and adopted the indirect primary as the mode that better aligns with the peculiarities in the state”, adding that there is no going back on that decision.

    He also pointed out that all those that are opposed to the indirect primary are not members of SEC and are not in the place to take the decision.

    Nwafor however assured all aspirants of level playing ground.

    Flaunting his growing chances, Nwosu prided that he will clinch the party’s ticket, irrespective of the mode adopted for the primaries.

    He said, “as a loyal party man, I align myself with the decision of our great party, which is supreme. I am in total support of the indirect primary mode adopted by the SEC, but apart from that, I am comfortable with any mode, be it direct, indirect or consensus because I am sure I will win”.

    Meanwhile the Coalition Group led by the Senator representing Imo West, Senator Hope Uzodinma, who is also a governorship aspirant, has vowed to dump the APC if any of its member did not emerge as the party’s governorship flagbearer.