By Emma Amaize
ASABA—PROMINENT Delta leader and politician, Prof Benedict Ijeomah, took Niger Delta elder, Chief Edwin Clark and Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, to the cleaners, yesterday, saying he and other elders of the state had challenged them in the past to substantiate their allegations of fraud against the former Governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, but they failed.

Tracing the genesis of the battle against Uduaghan, he said, “We were together in 2007. We thought we had facts. I was the spokesman before the former President  Obasanjo, with Chief Clark and we levelled all kinds of allegations against Uduaghan. Obasanjo called us and said, “Well, you can talk about Chief James Ibori, that is a different matter, but about Uduaghan, this young man, I have found nothing against him.

“So we thought at that point, we should soft pedal and look at the facts before us. When we looked at the facts before us, we discovered that there were no facts, but they were allegations to crucify a man on the basis of an unproven allegation. So some of us decided to lie low and let Uduaghan be.

“Unfortunately, three years after, the same people are still peddling the same allegations. I think the country should ask them to prove what they are saying. They should be compelled to prove all the allegations.

In July, I took some elders in Delta State to  Clark to appeal that there should be a kind of understanding that he should stop attacking Uduaghan and Uduaghan should stop attacking him,” he added.

“I led the delegation. I took a foremost nationalist, Chief G.I. Otobo, Prof. Sam Oyovbaire, General Paul Omu, General Peter Obada and the owner of Novena University, Chief Chuks Ochonogor, and Peter Biakpara. We went to have a meeting with E.K. Clark and his group and we reached an agreement that they should stop attacking each other and there was peace for a time.

“But this current court judgment appeared to have re-opened that wound again, that they are calling that Dr. Uduaghan to be arrested. I want them to tell us what Dr. Uduaghan did.

I suspect that as usual Barrister Kenneth Gbagi, the Minister of State Education is again involved in manufacturing lies as he did in 2007”, he said.

His words, “In  one instance at our July meeting he started reading long lists of allegation against Uduaghan and I stretched out my hand and said give me a copy of what you are alleging against Dr. Uduaghan, so that I could go home and confront Dr. Uduaghan. He said he would send it into my e-mail.

I said I am here in person give it to me by hand why send it into my e-mail. Then General Obada also stood up, and said give us the fact, and then we will confront Dr. Uduaghan. He said no, he will send it into our e-mail. Up till today he has not sent the allegations to us and they are still making the same allegations”.

He added. “I think it is not fair. If you say the man has embezzled money, show it to the whole world before you call EFCC to go and arrest him. Yes, if Dr. Uduaghan stole money I will oppose him, but if he has not stolen money, I will not kill an innocent person.

It is my religious ethics that we should be our brothers’ keepers. We should not manufacture lies to crucify somebody. If Dr. Uduaghan has stolen money, as I am sitting here, I will be the first to attack him”.

“But I discovered that he did not steal money and up till today, Gbagi has not given us evidence of all the allegations he is leveling against Dr. Uduaghan. I think he should just sit down and shut up his mouth or give us evidence of the allegations. We are no more little children that anybody can manipulate.

If you tell me that somebody has stolen money, give me evidence, I will confront the person. At my age and exposure, I am not afraid of anybody. If E.K Clark is wrong I will tell him. If Dr. Uduaghan is wrong I will tell him”, he stated.