By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Senator Andy Uba has expressed surprise over viral news publications that said he is owing Oranto Petroleum Limited, a company belonging to business mogul Prince Arthur Eze.the sum of N50 million.

The viral news was on the execution of a court judgment in which it was reported that vehicles belonging to him were seized over a N50 million loan he purportedly took

Reacting in a statement made available to journalists in Awka Friday, Uba said that the money in question was a donation made by Eze to his senatorial campaign in 2015.

The Senator, who released a video to buttress his point, said the donation was made at St. James Anglican Church, Uga, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State while the cheque of N50m was handed over to the presiding priest at the altar.

He further narrated how dumbfounded and shocked he was when Engr Arthur Eze turned around to obtain "a fraudulent judgement" from Anambra State High Court, Ekwulobia Division in 2017, saying that he had quickly filed an appeal against the judgement but had to withdraw the appeal when some stakeholders from Anambra State led by Prince Austin Ndigwe (Uzu-Awka) intervened.

He said he was shocked that after withdrawing his appeal at the Appeal court, Enugu Division, the Ukpo billionaire reneged on their peace agreement and clandestinely went behind to execute the fraudulent judgement of the Ekwulobia high court.

Below is the text of Senator Andy Uba’s reaction where Prince Arthur Eze made the N50 million donation at St. James Anglican church UGA:

MY ATTENTION HAS BEEN DRAWN TO THE DEFAMATORY, MALIGNING AND CHARACTER INJURIOUS PUBLICATIONS IN THE PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIUM, AS WELL AS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS ON MALICIOUS FALSEHOOD AND ALLEGATIONS ARISING FROM THE EXECUTION OF JUDGEMENT OF HIGH COURT OF ANAMBRA STATE IN SUIT NO: AG/94/2016, THROUGH THE BAILIFFS OF THE HIGH COURT OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY ABUJA ON 23/8/2022. IT IS FUNDAMENTALLY IMPERATIVE TO UNEQUIVOCALLY STATE IN CLEAR AND CATEGORICAL TERMS THE TRUE FACTUAL POSITION, THUS:

FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, I NEVER BORROWED N50,000,000 (FIFTY MILLION NAIRA ONLY) FROM PRINCE ARTHUR EZE, BOTH OF US ONLY ATTENDED A CHURCH SERVICE AT ST. JAMES ANGLICAN CHURCH UGA, AGUATA L.G.A, ANAMBRA STATE DURING MY SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN IN THE BUILD UP TO 2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS.

IN THE COURSE OF THE SAID CHURCH SERVICE, PRINCE ARTHUR EZE MADE A DONATION OF N50,000,000 (FIFTY MILLION NAIRA ONLY) TO SUPPORT MY SENATORIAL POLITICAL CAMPAIGN ON THE ALTAR AND THE ENTIRE CONGREGANT WERE ENGULFED WITH JOY AND HAPPINESS WHICH MADE THE OFFICIATING PRIEST EXTEND A WARM HAND SHAKE OF GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION FOR HIS KIND GESTURE, WHICH I EQUALLY SENT A LETTER OF APPRECIATION DATED 22/2/2015 TO PRINCE ARTHUR EZE. THE LETTER IS HEREIN ATTACHED.

I WAS TOTALLY DUMBFOUNDED, SURPRISED AND FLABBERGASTED HAVING LEARNT THAT MY BOSSOM FRIEND AND BROTHER, HAD THROUGH HIS COMPANY ORANTO PETROLEUM LIMITED THROUGH WHICH THE SAID CHEQUE OF N50,000,000 (FIFTY MILLION NAIRA ONLY) WAS DRAWN HAD FILED AN ACTION ONE YEAR AFTER AT THE HIGH COURT OF ANAMBRA STATE, AGUATA DIVISION SITTING AT EKWULOBIA IN SUIT NO: AG/94/2016, THROUGH WHAT THEY CALLED (UNDEFENDED LIST) PROCEDURE OR LIQUIDATED MONEY DEMAND OR SUMMARY JUDGMENT PROCEDURE. THE PERTINENT QUESTION IN THE LIPS OF MANY PEOPLE WOULD BE, DO PEOPLE GO TO THE ROOF TOPS TO PRAISE OR THANK OTHERS FOR GRANTING THEM LOAN FACILITIES? HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE YOU SEEN THAT SECURED A LOAN FACILITY FROM A BANK OR AN INDIVIUAL AND WENT TO CHURCH PRAISING THE CREDITOR FOR GRANTING THEM SUCH A LOAN FACILITY WHICH WOULD ONLY BE REPAYED?

I QUICKLY ENGAGED MY LAWYERS WHO FILED MY DEFENCE ON THE MERIT DENYING THE ALLEGATIONS THAT THE SAID MONEY WAS A LOAN BUT A FREE WILL DONATION, UNFORTUATELY DESPITE OUR OBVIOUS DEFENCE AND ISSUES HAVING BEEN JOINED, THE TRIAL COURT REFUSED AND FAILED TO AFFORD US FAIR HEARING BY HAVING THE MATTER HEARD ON FULL BLOWN TRIAL WHERE WITNESSES WILL BE CALLED AND EVIDENCE LED, BUT PROCEEDED TO HEAR THE MATTER ON (UNDEFENDED LIST) PROCEDURE OR SUMMARY JUDGMENT PROCEDURE, THAT IS, HEARING THE CASE ON ONLY THE ALLEGATIONS AND DOCUMENTS FILED BY THE PLAINTIFF (ORANTO PETROLEUM LIMITED) WITHOUT CONTRADICTION. THE COURT WENT AHEAD TO GRANT ALL THE RELIEFS AND ENTERED JUDGEMENT IN FAVOUR OF THE PLAINTIFF ON 6/3/2017.

IN EXERCISE OF MY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT, I LODGED AN APPEAL AT THE COURT OF APPEAL ENUGU CULMINATING TO SENATOR ANDY UBA –VS- ORANTO PETROLEUM LIMITED, APPEAL NO: CA/E/197/2017, CHALLENGING THE SAID DECISION OF THE HIGH COURT OF ANAMBRA STATE AMONG OTHER ON THE GROUND THAT THE SAID MONEY WAS A FREE WILL DONATION AND NOT A LOAN AS WELL AS A CHALLENGE THAT HEARING THE MATTER ON UNDEFENDED LIST WITHOUT MY INPUT AMOUNT TO BREACH OF MY FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO FAIR HEARING GUARANTEED UNDER SECTION 36 OF THE 1999 CONSTITUTION OF NIGERIA (AS AMENDED), WHICH OCCASIONED A MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE.

IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE, PARTIES FILED AND EXCHANGED THEIR RESPECTIVE BRIEFS OF ARGUMENT AND THE APPEAL SET DOWN FOR HEARING ON THE 26TH FEBRUARY, 2019. HOWEVER, THERE WAS AN INTERVENTION BY SOME ANAMBRA STAKEHOLDERS AND I WAS APPROACHED BY PRINCE AUSTIN NDIGWE (UZU-AWKA) WHO IS A MUTUAL FRIEND OF MYSELF AND PRINCE ARTHUE EZE FOR AMICABLE SETTLEMENT OF THE MATTER OUT OF COURT.

I WAS THEREUPON, AFTER A MEETING BETWEEN MYSELF AND PRINCE ARTHUR EZE AT HIS ENUGU RESIDENCE WHICH WAS CHAMPIONED BY PRINCE AUSTIN NDIGWE (UZU-AWKA), INSTIGATED BY WAY OF ADVICE TO WITHDRAW THE APPPEAL ON THE GROUND THAT PRINCE ARTHUR EZE HAD THEN BECOME SATISFIED THAT THE MONEY WAS ACTUALLY A DONATION FOR MY SENATORIAL POLITICAL CAMPAIGN AND NOT A LOAN AS HE WAS MEANT TO BELIEVE EARLIER.

PRINCE ARTHUR EZE PERSUADED ME THROUGH THE SAID PRINCE AUSTIN NDIGWE (UZU AWKA) TO DISCONTINUE THE APPEAL AND IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE GOOD FAITH AND BROTHERLINESS, I QUICKLY INSTRUCTED MY LAWYER TO WITHDRAW THE APPEAL, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE OUGHT TO EXTRACT TERMS OF SETTLEMENT AS A CONDITION BECAUSE THE APPEAL WAS AT THE CONCLUDING STAGE. CONSEQUENTLY, BASED ON THE NOTICE OF WITHDRAWL FILED BY MY LAWYER, THE APPEAL WAS DISMISSED BY THE COURT OF APPEAL ON 29TH FEBRUARY, 2019.

I WAS DEEPLY ASTONISHED AND SHOCKED BEYOND BONE MARROW WHEN I LEARNT THAT MY BROTHER AND MUTAL FRIEND, PRINCE ARTHUR EZE DESPITE HIS UNDERTAKINGS AT THE MEETING HAD RENEGED HIS PROMISES ON GENTLEMANLY AND BROTHERLY AGREEMENT WE HAD AND SURPRISINGLY SURFACED IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRIORY ABUJA, REGISTERED AND IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED THE SAID JUDGEMENT OF THE HIGH COURT OF ANAMBRA STATE, AGUATA DIVISION SITTING AT EKWULOBIA. THE SUBJECT MATTER OF MY APPEAL TO THE COURT OF APPEAL ENUGU, WITH THE SOLE INTENTION TO EMBARRASS, DEFAME AND REDUCE MY REPUTATION BEFORE THE RIGHT THINKING MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC USING NUMEROUS HIRED SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS.

FOR PURPOSES OF CLARITY, I ATTACHED HEREWITH A VIDEO CLIP OF PRINCE ARTHUR EZE’S DONATION OF N50,000,000 TO MY POLITICAL CAMPAIGN FOR ELECTION INTO THE SENATE OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA TO REPRESENT ANAMBRA SOUTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT IN THE SENATE OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, MADE AT ST. JAMES ANGLICAN CHURCH UGA, AGUATA L.G.A, ANAMBRA STATE.

THIS IS CONTRARY TO THE INFORMATION BEING CIRCULATED IN SEVERAL PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIUM, AS WELL AS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TO THE EFFECT THAT THE ABOVE SUM WAS A FREE INTEREST FRIENDLY LOAN, WHICH IS A CALCULATED ATTEMPT TO DEFAME AND MALIGN MY NOBLE CHARACTER AND HARD EARNED REPUTATION.

IT IS SHOCKING AND BAFFLING HOW A MAN WILL STAND ON THE SACRED ALTAR OF GOD AND DONATE TO THE POLITICAL ASPIRATION AND CAMPAIGN OF HIS BROTHER, OF WHICH THE OFFICIATING PRIEST EXTENDED A WARM HAND SHAKE OF GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION FOR HIS KIND GESTURE AND LATER TURN AROUND TO DENY THE PURPOSE OF THE DONATION.

I HAVE DEEP RESPECT FOR RULE OF LAW AND SANCTITY OF OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM WITH UNBLEMISHED POLITICAL CAREER AS A DEVOTED PUBLIC FIGURE, FORMER GOVERNOR OF ANAMBRA STATE, FORMER SENATOR OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT ON SPECIAL DUTIES AND DOMESTIC AFFAIRS TO PRESIDENT OLUSEGUN OBASANJO, AS WELL AS LOVING FATHER, DEDICATED CHRISTIAN AND LAW ABIDING CITIZEN OF THIS GREAT NATION, STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT JUSTICE WILL BE DONE IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS.

I THEREFORE CALL ON THE GENERAL PUBLIC, MEN AND WOMEN OF GOOD WILL AS WELL AS POLITICAL FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS, BUSINESS ASSOCIATES AND FAMILY MEMBERS, WITH ENDURING PASSION FOR JUSTICE, FAIR PLAY AND EQUITY, TO REMAIN CALM.

SEN. (DR.) SENATOR EMMANUEL ANDY UBA, MFR

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