OPINION: Ugwuh’s EFCC invitation and facts of the matter

Written by Ori Martins

Two globally acclaimed political philosophers of two different generations and spheres, Aechylus of Greece and Hiram Johnson of United States of America, were quite emphatic when they submitted that “The first casualty of war is the truth”.

Another war philosopher of international repute, Joseph Goebbels, graphically outlined in unmistakable terms what Aechylius and Hiram meant in their submission.

In his phenomenal contribution to the devastation of war and lie on humanity, Goebbels frankly observed that “If you tell a lie big enough, keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”

Taken together, the established philosophers of note had, for decades before now, predicted the current reckless assault on humanity and the public by these marauding failed politicians and political jobbers.

The failed politicians and political jobbers have many things in common: using lies, blackmail, backbiting and backstabbing, cooked up falsehood and distorting of facts, as well as the torpedoing of every noble and good intentions made by fellow associates, party or group members, to foster the growth and development of their professional bodies, political parties or social associations.

These politicians from hell and their infinitesimally gullible few followers have no other goal than to destroy institutions and very important personalities.

Nothing practically showcases the unimaginable descent into the abyss of inanity nay immorality of this set of failed politicians and their allied political jobbers than their unsuccessful attempt at painting white black and black white, characterised by mindlessly adopting Engr Charles Ugwuh’s invitation by the Economic Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, as a dramatised crime scene.

Since they have failed abysmally and have no followers other their few belligerent and cranky supporters who shamelessly assist them in propagating their destructive brand of politics in which they brutally employ all manner of disingenuous means to get at their targets, these men and women stop at nothing to pull their imaginary political enemies down.

If not for envy and crass ignorance, how can a business transaction involving Central Bank of Nigeria’s grant of an Agric Loan in 2015 through Fidelity Bank to Ugwuh’s company, known as Ebony Agro to produce rice, be now made to appear as a crude financial scandal?

After the CBN credited the money to Fidelity Bank, it was alleged that the bank converted the N2billion into its equity. Ugwuh complained by informing the apex bank of his inability to access the funds.

Swiftly, CBN responded and wrote to Fidelity to recall the N2billion. The bank took the matter to a different level by petitioning Ugwuh to EFCC, claiming that he had appropriated the sum for a previous transaction in 2011 which the former minister and erstwhile Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) president had yet to pay off.

As it turned out, EFCC got its tentacles and investigated the matter and came out with the fact that Fidelity Bank truly converted the N2billion sent to Ugwuh via the CBN. As a first step, the Fidelity Bank director who brought the petition was quizzed by EFCC, just as the anti-graft agency equally invited Ugwu in order to dig to the roots of the matter. Afterwards he was detained.

Rather than report the matter as it is, these agents of destabilisation who about one month dived into the ocean blindly by wrongly drafting an illegal and unconstitutional sack letter to Ugwuh, the chairman, Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have gone into another wicked action of calling for an innocent man’s imprisonment when he is not involved in any proved or known scam. This is not the way to go about it.

The situation at hand is never a fraudulent act. Even EFCC had yet to make its findings public. Moreover, Ugwuh has yet to talk on Fidelity Bank’s 2011 claims. Eventually the matter will ultimately be charged to court. And until then the Imo PDP boss is still innocent both in the public opinion and before the law. Therefore, Ugwuh is not a scammer. He is a businessman turned politician who approached a credible financial institution for a loan.

If there are failed or unfulfilled agreements about it, EFCC is in order by inviting Ugwuh for explanation. Therefore, blackmailing him is an atrocious deed that does more national harm than good.

Thus, those calling Ugwuh unprintable names, particularly in the social media platforms and Imo State based local newspapers, are political miscreants and the man’s political opponents who won’t stop at nothing to tarnish his hard earned local, national and international image.

For the records, Ugwuh is a man of integrity, honour and dignity who cannot deliberately get himself involved in any of criminality or scandal.