By Tony Adibe
The Enugu State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Ugochukwu Agballa has reacted to the reported takeover of the party’s state Secretariat by the Labour Party in Enugu State, dispelling rumours that the takeover was caused by his administration’s inability to renew the rent.
In a statement issued in Enugu on Thursday by his Media Assistant, Comrade Ken Ofoma, Chief Agballa described the report as a “laughable, petty, deliberately concocted and peddled lies by the enemies of the people.”
Throwing more light on the development, Ofoma explained that the current administration of Agballa intentionally didn’t want to renew the rent because it wanted to dissociate itself from the “unclear deals” the immediate past administration of Dr. Ben Nwoye as party chairman had with the landlord which is now subject of litigation.
The Ofoma statement, among others, read: “We have noted with regret the takeover and unveiling of the former All Progressives Congress (APC) Enugu State Secretariat, at No 126 Park Ave, GRA Enugu, by the Labour Party as its new office. “It is, however, rumored that this takeover is a result of the inability of the new leadership of our great party to renew the rent.
“This is not only petty but laughable and hardly needs any formal rebuttal before the wise and discerning public on this deliberately concocted and peddled lies by the enemies of the people to whom the unmatched success of the new leadership of the All Progressives Congress in the state is of great surprise and pain.”
Ofoma further stated: “For formalities, however, we wish to bring it to the notice of the public, that the said takeover and unveiling of the former APC Enugu State Secretariat by the Labour Party as its new office, is not a result of the inability of our party to renew the rent, but rather a deliberate decision by the new leadership of the party in the state to disassociate itself from the unclear deals of the Ben Nwoye led former executives of the party with the landlord of the said office, which is now a subject of litigation.
“The Ben Nwoye-led executive was owing the landlord of the said office some four years rent, despite fully receiving funds duly appropriated and sent by the national leadership of the party for the payment of the rent over the said years. Ben Nwoye has since been unable to explain either to the national leadership of the party or its new leadership in the state why he refused to apply the funds released by the party for the rent for which it was disbursed over the years.
“The Hon. Ugochukwu Agballah-led new executive, true to its disposition for clarity of records, refused to renew the lease as it would have made them inherit a liability left by Ben Nwoye, who is currently facing numerous investigations and charges; the former by the Nigerian Police and the latter at the High Court by former members of his executives, both bothering on the misappropriation of funds.
“Moreover, we have the best furnished office of any party in the state at No. 81 Nza Street, Independence layout, Enugu. Therefore, we want to equally use this opportunity to thank the noble members of our great party in the state and the general public for their massive support for the new leadership of the party in the state. Through your support, the Hon. Ugochukwu Agballah-led administration, together with our competent and committed Governorship Candidate, Chief Uche Nnaji, Nwakaibie, has been able to achieve an unprecedented record of grassroots outreach in the just concluded tours of the 260 wards in the state.
“Subject to the tours, membership of our party has grown by over 500%, and, most importantly, the boost in the level of assurance and confidence that we have been able to reawaken in the people in the process of these tours. The confidence of an endless capacity, viability, seriousness, and commitment of our party to the single most decisive objective of liberating Enugu State from the hands of those who have held it, hostage, for the past 24 years, has now been implanted and widely acknowledged and celebrated by the mass of the men and women of Enugu State.
“More than ever before, the All Progressives Congress in Enugu State, under the leadership of, Ugochukwu Agballah, is now prepared to offer a glaring alternative of good governance to the people of the state.”
According to Ofoma, “It is not time to fall for cheap rumors and distractions. More than ever, the party now has all it takes to achieve its electoral objectives of victory at the polls. The human capital for sincere and committed party leadership, the will and passion for the constitution of real change in the social and economic lives of the people of the state, and the financial muscle to implement all necessary strategies for the achievement of these objectives, are at our disposal.
“It is impossible to have a party whose governorship candidate and well-meaning stakeholders have undertaken to finance the presidential elections in the state, to be incapable of renewing an ordinary rent or lease. But the Hon. Ugochukwu Agballah-led administration of the party is committed to following due processes and showing sincerity in the clarity of records as those would be our modus operandi at the Lion Building, come 2023.”
While thanking the members and urging them to remain committed to the “struggle for the liberation of this state”, he also called on them to leave “the litigation encumbered Ben Nwoye to sort himself out before the court and the Nigerian Police investigation Department.”
