By Austin Ogwuda
…. tactically calls on the governor to call his Aide to order before he is forced to take legal action
To say that the Ughelli North Local Government Council Chairman, Barrister Jaro Egbo, is embattled, is to say the least following the backlash since the controversial dissolution of the Ughelli Motor Parks Revenue Committee.
Recall that SaharaReporters reported that
the dissolution of that Committee was driven by alleged political vendetta.
The erstwhile Committee Chairman, Gowon Egoide, according to SaharaReporters, accused the Council Chairman, Egbo of purportedly demanding monthly kickbacks of N400,000 and went on to publish the purported evidence of payment to that effect.
Egoide dismissed the official reason given for the dissolution, stating that the Council Chairman misled the public to conceal a personal grudge.
…. Can of worms
Embittered Chairman of the dissolved Ughelli Motor Parks Revenue Committee, Gowon Egoide, in that earlier report by SaharaReporters opened up a can of worms.
Said he, “Egbo’s claim that my committee was dissolved due to a lack of financial accountability is nothing but a mere failed attempt to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it. All remittances owed to the council had been duly paid, and with everything receipted for.
“I have been remitting; all receipts are intact. I’m not owing the council a dime. Even with his instruction to me, outside the official remittance to the council, I should be paying him personally the sum of N400,000 every month as kickbacks. I have also been paying him without any option.
“As my evidence, in one of such monthly kickback payments as demanded by the council chairman, I paid the sum of N400,000 into the private Globus Bank account of the council chairman bearing Jaro Omovudu Egbo.
“When he opened his house last December, the council chairman, Jaro Egbo, also compelled me to buy him a cow as a kickback. Without hesitation, I sent him the sum of N1.2 million, which he directed me to send to his wife, and I obeyed. I paid the N1.2 million into the business account of the council chairman’s wife, bearing Viviaro Enterprises in a First Bank account.
“He can’t deny it because I have all the receipts with me. And this kickback is outside the committee’s remittance to the council’s coffers. The real motive behind the council’s chairman’s action is my vehement refusal to support Egbo’s meddling into the rotational Uduere Youths leadership election”, he claimed.
…. Egbo ostracised by his family?
Apart from motor park controversy, the Council Chairman was enmeshed with another alleged scandal.
He was suspended by the Abovwe Descendants Union (ADU)—his own family—and barred from attending family meetings and participating in family activities over allegations of gross misconduct, dishonesty, assault on elders, and the fraudulent conversion of family property, according to SaharaReporters.
And two days ago, (Sunday) in Uduere, a suburb of the Abovwe community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, he was accused of allegedly using suspected thugs and security personnel to disrupt a family meeting convened by the Abovwe Descendants Union.
Right of Reply
However in a press statement made available during a media chat with few selected Journalists on Monday, entitled ‘CYBER BULLYING, LIBELOUS AND FAKE NEWS SPREAD BY MR. OVOKE AKPOBASA AND HIS COHORTS—PRE-ACTION NOTICE’, Egbo stated:
“It has become imperative to address the recent wave of false, malicious, and unfounded allegations being circulated by Sahara Reporters and other online media platforms regarding the purported award of government contracts to Skyviaro Properties Development Company Limited.
“Let it be unequivocally stated that Skyviaro Properties Development Company Limited is not a registered contractor with the Local Government, has not been awarded any contract, and is not personally owned or operated by me. I resigned from any involvement with the said company, and there has been no breach of due process or statutory guidelines in any contract awards under my administration.
“The deliberate spread of misinformation, spearheaded by Mr. Ovoke Akpobasa, an Executive Assistant to the Governor on Diaspora Affairs, is a calculated attempt to tarnish my reputation, discredit my administration, and cast aspersions on the government of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori. Such reckless and defamatory actions are not only unbecoming of a public office holder but also pose a serious threat to public trust and governance.
“I call on relevant authorities to immediately rein in Mr. Akpobasa and his collaborators to prevent further embarrassment to the government and unnecessary tension among the people. Should this orchestrated smear campaign persist, I reserve the right to pursue legal action against him and his employer the Delta State Government in my personal capacity.
“I remain steadfast in my commitment to transparency, accountability, and good governance, and I am confident that a thorough and objective review of this matter will expose the baseless nature of these allegations.
“Let it be known that I will not be deterred by falsehood and character assassination. My focus remains on delivering effective governance and upholding the principles of integrity and service to the people.
“The purported suspension document, which has been making rounds on social media, is nothing more than a fraudulent fabrication. None of the recognized Abovwe Family Executive Committee members endorsed it. Instead, it bears the signatures of individuals who, quite frankly, did not comprehend what they were signing.
“We have traced the origins of these false claims to personal grievances against Chairman Egbo. One signatory, a 70-year-old brother of the Chairman, sought appointment as LEA Chairman but was denied due to concerns over nepotism. Another key figure behind these rumours, Mr. Gowon Egoide, continues to present himself as family chairman despite his tenure having long expired.
“Furthermore, we have uncovered that Egoide and certain former executive members are attempting to divert attention from serious accusations regarding the unauthorized sale of family land at Ighwreovie and along Jaro Egbo Road. These individuals, after being confronted about these transactions and following Egoide’s removal from a lucrative motor park committee position, resorted to spreading falsehoods to mislead the public”.
