The publication of petitions addressed to Security and Government agencies and copied to the press is dangerous and should be published with caution and it is necessary for the publisher to do preliminary investigation before going public. Publishers publishing unsubstantiated petitions stand the risk of doing irreparable damage to the reputation and integrity of innocent persons, but worse still, their website.
On Friday 5th June 2009, you published a petition addressed to the EFCC and copied to the FIRS purportedly signed by a Chief Mathew Emitimi and Comrade Ohwobeno, two anonymous individuals, accusing the person of Chief Andy Osawota, Secretary of DESOPADEC of massive fraud in the Commission.
The publication of such unsubstantiated allegations is wrong and libellous, while we expect the authorities to do their investigation when they get such petitions; your publishing without investigation assist faceless antagonists posing as affected petitioners to tarnish the characters of victims. It is therefore our wish that you give adequate publicity to this rejoinder to ensure that readers of your articles see the other side of the matter and not take the allegations as true.
1. It must be pointed out that the name Emitimi is not known in Delta State, they are of course unable to Spell Matthew. In Delta State the Name Ohwobeno is a curse rather than a surname, so publishing ‘petitions’ by persons using aliases of this nature smack of hatchet writers out to damage the reputation of others. One can also smell a rat from a mile, that these are politicians with a political vendetta against masquerading as affected individuals. The fact is that they are panicked by the formation of the United Mandate for Uduaghan by Chief Osawota and they see UMU as a major threat to their political future.
2. The Processes and Procedures put in place by the Governor do not allow for the payment of Tax deductions into private accounts. Tax deductions are only made on payments to contractors by any organization; they are not based on the total amounts appropriated. The ‘Petitioners’ do not know the hierarchical structure of the Commission, Approving Authorities, and Executive supervision in place, hence the frivolous allegation. Their ignorance has made them to assume that 10% of the Capital budget of the Commission is due FIRS, as if a budget is actual expenditure.
3. Computation of Remittances to FIRS and The Delta State Inland Revenue Services fall into the purview of the Head of Finance Dept. not the Secretary. He computes what tax is to be deducted; he also does the remittances to FIRS and State Inland Revenue Service, after the necessary due process and Audit. It is good to mention that taxes deducted from Limited Liability Companies are remitted to FIRS while those from non-limited companies are paid to the State Inland Revenue Services. As for VAT, those deducted are matched against those paid by the Commission. A reconciled balance is what is due to the FIRS. So where did these evil duo get their misinformation from? Definitely from their evil imagination and political machination to bring the good name of Chief Osawota to disrepute and cause him to abandon UMU which has become a great source of trepidation to political detractors.
4. As for allegations of properties owned by Chief Osawota, in one breath they claim the Assets Declaration is shrouded in secrecy, while in another they list properties that were not declared. Which then, do we believe? It smacks of lack of confidence of facts and brazen falsehood, by their own showing. As all who know Chief Osawota will testify, he inherited a 6-Bed room building from his late Father in 1993, while he has been developing his personal property at Orogun in the past 7 years on a plot of land bequeathed to him by his larger family. His other properties in Warri, Lagos and other places have been acquired long before his appointment as Secretary of DESOPADEC. Chief Osawota has not been known to be a pauper, and was doggedly running a lucrative and successful law practice for 26 years, before the appointment. It is absurd to value a 6 bedroom duplex in Warri at N250m. What a mischief!
5. On the purchase of 100 Hyundai Buses: The name of such a dealer should not be far fetched. Why not provide the details of such a dealer in Warri or wherever. It is Chief Osawota’s involvement with this Association (UMU) that is the reason for this petition. And these fictitious and faceless writers know better that there is no need making false allegations on a cause they don’t believe in or which they fear; striving to stifle at birth the UMU.
6. On the allegation that he bought an estate from Chief Poge Otirikpe, nothing can be further from the truth and a slap on the face of our beloved Chief Poge (President General of Udu Kingdom) who is still very much around to attest to the rental and not sale of his property by the Commission.
7. As to having hefty Accounts with the Banks listed, Chief Osawota has no Accounts with most of the Banks quoted or any offshore Accounts, in the UK in the USA, or anywhere. The petitioners are unable to state the amounts in those accounts, it is clear therefore that the heftiness of the deposits is the figment of their imagination. This is yet another attempt to blackmail and distract.
8. Chief Osawota owned cars, before his appointment. He is also entitled to official cars. Therefore such allegations are absurd and baseless.
We believe these allegations are the handiwork of enemies and opponents of the Delta State government and enemies of the Oil Producing Communities, as it is coming soon after the tragedy in the creeks of the State, they are meant to distract the Commission and the Government, cause disaffection among the Host Communities and encourage crisis. A crisis that will not benefit the people of the State but the losers who will rather divide the Child than let the baby live.
The works of the Commission, which are now due for commissioning will no doubt, boost the popularity of the Governor, and spoiling this is the main target of these hatchet writers. With the bloodshed in the creeks, the Commissioning is postponed, while these allegations will all tend to negate the positive impact of the Government and its achievements.
The records of the Commission are there for all to see, while the authorities know how to get their facts. The general public needs to be informed accurately, so as not to fall into the trap of detractors and politicians who see no good in the work of the present administration in the State.
All those involved in this dastardly act are advised to be more inward looking and to practice politics without bitterness. We must all support the development vision and the three-point agenda of His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan. They need to preach love and harmony, a goal that will sustain the peace and security that the present State administration has struggled to put in place. THIS SHOULD BE THEIR PREOCCUPATION.
Signed:
Omamudu Ezilibe
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