By Austin Ogwuda
Delta deputy governor Onyeme was dismissed for forgery, Gbagi tells Tribunal
….. Is cock and bull story – Fidelis Egugbo
FORMER Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi who was a governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the March 18th governorship election in Delta State.
Gbagi told the Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Asaba that the State deputy governor Sir Monday Onyeme was not qualified to stand election because he was dismissed as a civil servant over alleged forgery.
But in a sharp reaction an Asaba-based journalist, rose to the defence of the embattled deputy governor, puncturing his claim at the Tribunal as mere “cock and bull” story that cannot be substantiated.
Gbagi in his petition before the three-man Tribunal presided over by Justice H C. Ahuchaogu claimed that Monday Onyeme who is the 4th Respondent was sacked by the National Open University as a Bursar.
Under cross examination, Gbagi stated: “I was a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the 4th Respondent, was my staff at best.
“I was never a staff of the registry, the 4th Respondent was a staff under me.
“I can tell that for forgery and records that are being kept, I presided over the Panel as the minister of the federal Republic of Nigeria, in his dismissal.
“I constituted the panel. The 4th Respondent appeared before my panel.
“The 4th Respondent has several incursions into our lives as a people.
“After he left the National Open University, he came here as a tax collector.
“Apart from the dismissal, there is an administrative Enquiry that enquired into his finances and the dismissal, is part of it.
“We terminated his engagement, the reason for him to have abruptly left the University services”.
“The 4th Respondent (Monday Onyeme) failed to disclose the fact of his dismissal in his Affidavit Form EC9 deposed to on 29th day of July 2022”.
…… Egugbo punctures Gbagi’s claim
However, an Asaba, Delta State-based Journalist, Comrade Fidelis Egugbo said he was dismissing the lies by the gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, purporting that the Deputy Governor of Delta State, Sir Monday Onyeme, was dismissed from the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN.
Egugbo stated that though, the case for the 2023 gubernatorial election was before the Tribunal, Gbagi could have made the allegation to cause disaffection and possibly, incite Deltans against the administration of Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori.
His words, “I am confident that no Deltan will take the spurious, unfounded allegation of Mr Kenneth Gbagi serious, because, we are all aware about his antecedents.
It is unfortunate that instead of accepting defeat as expected of a true democrat, he is in the tribunal trying to cause disaffection among the people.
“The Deputy Governor of Delta State, Sir Monday Onyeme, has an unblemished record as a civil servant before he was called upon to take political appointment.
“Without going back memory lane to list places that Sir Onyeme has excellently rendered service to humanity, we are all aware that as at 2015, Mr Gbagi was not the Minister of State and it was the year, 2015 that Sir Onyeme, took leave of absence from the NOUN to enable him effectively take charge of the affairs of the Delta State Internal Revenue Service, DSIR, as its Executive Chairman.
“The immediate past Governor of Delta State, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, believes in excellence and his administration was able to woo Sir Onyeme, a tax expert from the NOUN to head the DSIRS.
“Gbagi alleged that as a Minister of State for Education, he set up a panel to investigate Sir Onyeme and also, sat on the panel as its Chairman and went further to recommend the dismissal of Sir Onyeme as a Bursar; and failed to institute legal actions against Sir Onyeme for forgery. Such a situation can only be imagined as Sir Onyeme took leave of absence years after Gbagi was dropped as Minister of State for Education.
“Someone described his allegation as ‘cock and bull story’ as Nigerians are all aware that Sir Onyeme after his appointment, applied for and was granted leave of absence in 2015 when he answered the call to serve Deltans as the Chairman, DSIR, a position he again, relinquished voluntarily when he was chosen as the running mate to Rt. Hon. Oborevwori in 2022.
“As the Deputy Governor of Delta State”, the statement went on, “members of the National Open University of Nigeria Alumni Association, NOUNAA, Delta State Chapter, few days ago, paid a congratulatory visit on Sir Onyeme at his office at Government House, Asaba. That visit clearly attest to how the Deputy Governor is valued at the NOUN.
“Following his emergence as the running mate to Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori in 2022, it became clear, that his career at the NOUN had ended and as a man who believes in due process, Sir Onyeme who resigned his appointment at DSIR, also, resigned as the Bursar of the NOUN.
“His resignation put to an end, a robust nine years as Bursar of NOUN, a position that he put his expertise to use as he was never queried nor faced any panel whatsoever within the period. It was not surprising as Gbagi, was also, the only witness in his case before the tribunal.
“It is unfortunate that what Gbagi went to the tribunal with was a ‘trophy,’ that he personally raised criminal issues against the Deputy Governor, set up a panel which he was the Chairman, tried him, found him guilty and dismissed him, without having in mind that Nigerians are aware that he left office as a Minister for State years before Sir Onyeme voluntarily retired from NOUN.
“We can recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his running mate, Sir Monday Onyeme as the winners of the 18 March governorship election in Delta State.
“The State INEC Collation Officer, Onuwari Georgewill, a Professor and Vice-Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt, said Oborevwori polled a total of 360,234 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Ovie Omo-Agege of the All Progressive Party (APC) who scored 240,229 votes.
“Georgewill said Kennedy Pela of the Labour Party came third with 48,027 votes, while Great Ogboru of the All Progressive Grand Alliance came fourth with 11,021 votes, so, discerning Deltans are wondering what Gbagi is doing in the tribunal but it is his constitutional right to do so”, Egugbo added.