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*hunt for the tape and full text mounted
The yesterday’s live telecast of the Nnewi-born oil magnate and chief executive of Capital Oil and Gas Ltd, Chief Ifeanyi Uba interview by a
Lagos-based cable television network has thrown Anambra state into
confusion.
Uba’s outburst, considered by many as no-holds-bared and watched by
many worldwide was too revealing.
He named some well-placed top government officials, Governors,
Ministers and business moguls as having evil machinations against him.
The 41year old oil tycoon reputed to have brought a lot of
transformation into the sector and loves touching the lives of
citizens, during the early morning television interaction opened up on
the plot to smear his reputation. He also named some of the key
players who he accused of trading and forum-shopping with his name.
Coming short of calling them names, the businessman said that none of
all his accusers for which he was recently arrested, detained and
charged would pin any scathing deal on him. On one particular
transaction between him and one of his townsman, names withheld, part
of which were the issues leveled against him was said to have been
perfected and concluded long before now.
He fumed that at the appropriate time and place he would lay bare all
the records on the plots, the places, the roles each participant
played against him.
Just as at the time the telecast was still on, the Anambra state
Commissioner for Information and Culture, Chief Joe-Martins Uzodike
who was reported to have watched it with the Governor, placed
immediate hunt for the recorded version of the programme. It was so
intense he had to place a call direct to the executive chairman of the
television station.
The aim according to investigations was for the government to
understudy the entire interview with a view for legal action or
response.
Uzodike and some of those fingered by Uba were said to have before
yesterday gone on live telecast with comments against some business
transactions they claimed turned sour with him.
Also the Nnewi community was turned into a beehive as citizens who
watched the programme and even those who didn’t but heard about it met
in multiple groups and clusters discussing and analyzing the outburst.
Many who spoke to this reporter expressed dismay on the level some
highly placed individuals would go to tarnish the image of anyone
considered to be friends of the masses and popular.
Few days ago a group under the aegis of the Anambra Peoples’ Movement
(APM), in a press briefing at Nnewi said, “we have observed with keen
interest in the last few days the circumstances leading to the
dramatic incarceration of Chief Ifeanyi Ubah over some trumped up
charges bothering on financial misconduct”.
In the statement read out to journalists, copy of which was given to
the Guardian, by their spokesman Chief Tempest Udenze, noted that “APM
therefore wish to state categorically that the development, funny as
it has been so far has really raised more questions than answers.
“One of which is whether CAPITAL OIL and GAS LTD, a duly established
corporate entity that has legal rights to sue and be sued no longer
so? Why wouldn’t the relevant federal agency/cies follow this simple
time-tested path of our laws?
“In as much as our organization is not favourably disposed to any form
of fraud whatsoever, we wish to state in very clear language that
selective justice is no justice at all. Such is unconstitutional,
unfair and unacceptable to all good conscience.
“If the Federal Government as it were is sincere in its motive, they
should go for the main culprits that are well known to all as earlier
published. Or is it true they have paid their ways out as usual, and
set the attack dogs after a young Nigerian who dared into/do well in a
sector that had remained exclusive preserve of some pseudo gods.
Already several peace meetings had been scheduled between Uba and some
of his accusers, especially one of them who is also from Nnewi, but
none achieved its desired aim because his accusers failed to show up.
In the yesterday’s programme, Uba emphasized he has all his evidence
against all of them.
His problems, many reasoned were more political than business gone
awry, because it appeared it all began the moment he was linked to
moves to salvage the ailing All Progressives Grand Alliance, where he
was reported to be very close to Gov Rochas Okorocha and has intention
to run for the governorship of Anambra state next year.
