Gov. Otu’s Aides Using Govt  Influence  To Victimize Former Aide  — SAN 

Ene Ene Calabar 

Human rights lawyer, and senior  Advocate of Nigeria, Mba  Ukweni (SAN) has accused governor Bassey Otu ‘s officials of using government power  to slam former Special Adviser SA to former  governor Ben Ayade on Cocoa Development and Control, Oscar Ofuka behind bars.

The legal practitioner made the allegations  on Sunday  while reacting to  the circumstances that led to  Ayade ex-aide  Oscar Ofuka who is now in coma for four days now in one of the hospitals in Calabar 

Ukweni  stressed  that as a lawyer, he would never obstruct justice or prosecution of any individual who had been found wanting stressing that what he is against is when those in charge failed to follow due process 

“They should just pray that nothing happens to Ofuka. Being in government does not make anyone above the law.

“All I expected them to have done is to set up a commission of enquiry to investigate what happened during Ayade’s regime rather than torment the young man the way they are doing to the extent  that he slid into a coma. What they are doing is totally unacceptable.

“That is not what the law said. In all circumstances, we must always act in accordance with what the law says should be done. 

“Our law presumes any suspect to be innocent until the court makes pronouncement of his guilt.

“It pre-supposes that a suspect should be treated with the highest level of decency, and respect because sometimes  you may eventually find out that the  suspect is innocent.

While not wanting to comment on what is before the court, on the basis of sub- judice.

“This in particular, is when I got to find out that he was arrested in his home town, that he brought army people to intimidate people in the farm, and I went to find out.

 “I found that was wrong, he was taken to the army station at Edor Barracks at Ikom local government of Cross River state”. Ukweni stated.

The legal practitioner attributed  the torment faced by Ayade’s former aide to  allocation of cocoa plots made by the past administration at the government Cocoa estate where some  officials of the  Otu’s administration are  refusing to honour agreements  Ayade government entered into with Cocoa allottees.

“The present administration can not say whatever agreement the previous administration entered into can not work. Government is continuum.

“Those agreements were done before the attorney general of the state, with receipts from the government, paid into government revenue internal revenue accounts and the present administration is saying it won’t honour the agreement.? Ukweni queried.

In reaction to the allegation, Gov. Otu special Adviser on Security Matters Rtrd. Maj. Gen. Okoi Obono and Secretary to State Government SSG Prof Anthony Owan  have since denied their involvement in Ofuka ‘s travel.