PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY NOSA VICTOR OMOREGIE, FCA, FCCM, PDP CANDIDATE, EDO STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY IN THE MARCH 9, 2019 ELECTION ON APRIL 4, 2019, IN BENIN CITY, EDO STATE.
Distinguished Gentlemen and Ladies of the Press, I welcome you to this Press Conference aimed at drawing the attention of the general public to some development in Nigeria, Edo State and Ovia North East Constituency 1.
The democratic process in Nigeria since 1999 has witnessed a lot of attempts made to sanitize the system with the objective, inter alia, of ensuring that those who hold political offices are men and women that have clean bill of integrity.
To achieve this, Aspirants into political Offices are subjected to series of screening by various agencies of Government and of course the Political Parties themselves.
This notwithstanding, some individuals lacking in the basic requirements to hold Political offices and demonstrating questionable characters still find their way into the political system. Most facts about candidates are not available to the voting public and therefore they are made to vote ignorant of the fact樂威壯 around the candidates.
The end of it all is bad governance and poor representation which have been the bane of our Political development.
We must collectively advocate and work towards improving the political system if this country must move forward.
Let me state emphatically that the subject of this conference is not about the obvious lapses which attended the last general election but the more serious issues of fraudulent practice.
Based on a very reliable information with respect to the West African Examination Council Certificate forgery of the Candidate of APC into the Edo State House of Assembly, Ovia North East Constituency 1, Hon. Dumez Oniawu Ugiagbe, before the General election, my Campaign Committee members undertook an inquest to authenticate the information.
To this effect relying on provisions of section 1(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, a letter of Certificate Verification dated February 15, 2019 was written to The West African Examination Council (WAEC), Benin Branch. In the their response, dated February 19, 2019, WAEC stated and I quote We write to inform you that the Examination Number 5131293070 written in November/December 2001 is for the Candidate UGIAGBE ONAIWU DUMEZ.
However, the cand威而鋼 idates photograph on our records is NOT the same as the one on the photocopy of the certificate attached to your request unquote (copy of the letter displayed).
This clearly confirm the fact that Dumez did not sit for the examination rather he contracted someone to impersonate him to write the exam for him. Apart from being a fraudulent practice he cannot claim to be the rightful owner of the Certificate.
Following from the above, some of my Campaign Team Members led by my Okokhuo Ward Campaign Coordinator , Blessing Osagie, who though was not very lettered but a good advocate of credible representation took it up to petition the Nigerian Police Force requesting them to investigate the forgery case.
In the course of the Police investigation Dumez and his cohorts forcefully apprehended and threatened Mr. Blessing Osagie with death except he follow them to do a counter petition disclaiming his early Petition to the Nigerian Police. He, Mr. Blessing Osagie was however arrested for double dealing and lying to the Police. He confessed to the Police that he had no option but to succumb as a result of Dumez and his cohorts threat to the life of himself and family.
Based on the petition, the Nigerian Police undertook a very comprehensive investigation with the support of WAEC confirming the suspicion of Dumez Certificate forgery. As part of the investigation, the Police invited Dumez to appear before them to defend himself with evidence of the original WAEC certificate. He has refused to honour the Police invitation perhaps because he is above the law or he is afraid to face the law. A person who wants to make law yet afraid of the law. He eventually went to Abuja with a petition to the Inspector General of Police alleging Criminal Conspiracy and Defirmation (I guess defamation) of Character against Mr. Blessing Osagie and I in an attempt to avoid being investigated with the intent of frustrating justice and due process. A letter of invitation from the IGP Monitoring Unit, Force Headquarters requesting us to come for an investigation interview is with us. Though we are suspicious that IGP may not be aware of this process evading plot we shall however honour the invitation when the time comes because we have nothing to hide.
I want to commend the breed of the Nigerian Police in the State Criminal Investigation unit in Benin City for the painstaking and professional approach displayed in the process of the investigation.
I want to state categorically that notwithstanding the attempt by Dumez to truncate the process of justice, the truth must prevail at the end of the day. He has only succeeded in delaying the evil day as he must be brought to answer for his crime.
To this end, I call on the Acting Inspector General of Police, Alh. Abubakar Mohammed Adamu Who has over the years demonstrated a unique defense of justice, equity and good moral, even as an AIG in Benin City, not to allow his hard earned reputation to be dragged to the trash by desperate and fraudulent individuals like Dumez.
Since the Nigerian Police Edo State has done a very comprehensive investigation, the Ag. I.G.P should direct that the case file be returned to Benin so that Dumez should honour the Police invitation. Except this is done there would likely be a very serious miscarriage of justice.
Finally, I call on the good people of Nigeria who love good governance, justice and equity to condemn this reckless act and criminal tendency.
Thank you very much for listening.
Nosa Victor Omoregie, FCA, FCCM
