The attention of the office of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly has been drawn to the publication (article) on page 8 of IMO TRUMPETA edition dated February 28 2013 with the caption, “Uwajumogu the Rolling Stone”.

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have considered it necessary reacting but judging from the fact that the article in question is sponsored, malicious, mischievous, intellectually and academically deficient and defective, dressed and performed with obvious lies and blackmail against Rt. Hon. Chief Benjamin Uwajumogu (the ebullient and vibrant speaker of Imo State House of Assembly), I therefore deem it expedient to put the records straight so that members of the public will continue to know the truth and also discountenance the antics of the writer … a Professor from hell – Professor Nathan Uzorma Protus.

For the avoidance of doubt, Professor Nathan Uzorma Protus is well known to me. Between 2007 and 2011, when the former disgraced governor of Imo State held sway, I was the leader of the crusade that exposed the mismanagement and devaluation of leadership in the state at that time. While the late Maximus Uba was my second in command (2IC), Professor Uzoma Protus was the third in rank. I was their leader though the youngest in age. Room 608 of MODOTEL Hotel (now Rockview Hotel) used to be our meeting place. We went our separate ways when I refused to be bribed by the defunct Ohakim government. While the late Maximus Uba collected N15,000,000, Professor Protus Uzorma received N10,000,000. I continued with my crusade against the corrupt regime of Ikedi Ohakim while late Maximus Uba and Professor Uzoma made a U-turn and started hobnobbing with the disgraced Ohakim government. Professor Nathan Uzoma is today Ohakim’s attack dog. I can therefore state on good authority without any fear of contradiction that I know Professor Protus Uzorma Nathan too well. I know where he lives and he knows where I live.

BACK TO THE ARTICLE IN QUESTION;
(1)He maliciously accused Rt. Hon. Uwajumogu of fraudulently emerging the PDP candidate for Ihitte/Uboma state constituency seat after forcing his other PDP co-aspirants to step down for him.
(2)He falsely stated that Rt. Hon. Uwajumogu emerged Speaker on the 16th of June 2011.
(3)He falsely stated that Speaker Uwajumogu cross carpeted to APGA immediately after the inauguration as Speaker on the 16th of June 2011.
(4)He falsely stated that Rt. Hon. Uwajumogu cajoled his PDP ward Chairman and other executives to sign a letter, proving and testifying that he is still a PDP member.
(5)He stated that audio-video tapes of Speaker Uwajumogu’s defection speech are watched by the public on rehearsal basis.
(6)He accused Speaker Uwajumogu of adopting voodoo strategy in making and cajoling members of the Imo State House of Assembly to pass a vote of implicit confidence on him,
(7)He maliciously accused Rt. Hon. Uwajumogu of parading with a forged PDP membership card, with which he corner-crossed some INEC’S officials in Abuja and stopped them from declaring his seat vacant.
(8)He maliciously accused Rt. Hon. Uwajumogu of mutilating all official documents and audio-visual records in the House of Assembly containing where he publicly read his resignation letter from PDP at
the inauguration ground.
(9)He also accused Rt. Hon. Uwajumogu of threatening the lives and properties of PDP officials in his ward and Local government.
(10)This Professor from hell finally accused Rt. Hon. Uwajumogu of leading a defective House of Assembly that errs always in most of their activities and extra-legislative functions.

Before Irespond to this tissue of lies, I want Professor Nathan Uzorma Protus and his sponsors to understand that Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu is a man with great passion for the development of Imo State, no wonder he has refused to dance to the tunes of the destabilizing music of a disgruntled cabal, who wants him to assist them fight the Rescue Mission government of His Excellency Owelle Rochas Okorocha.

FACT NO. 1: Rt. Hon. Chief Benjamin keenly contested the PDP House of Assembly primaries for Ihitte/Uboma state constituency seat with his fellow co-aspirants and emerged victorious. The immediate past Deputy Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Sir Jonas Okeke, came a distant second.

FACT NO. 2: Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu emerged the Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly on the 7th of June 2011 and not 16th of June 2011 as falsely stated by this Professor from hell.

FACT NO. 3: Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu has not and did not resign his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Available records indicate that the entire PDP structure in his ward is solidly behind him. If he actually resigned from his Party, then his party Chairmanshould produce his resignation letter for the world to see.

FACT NO. 4: Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu need not force or cajole anybody or group of persons in PDP in his Ward to sign documents or write for him. There is thousands of evidence proving that Rt. Hon. Uwajumogu has not stopped carrying his responsibilities to his party since he emerged speaker.

FACT NO. 5: Since the Professor from hell insists that he has watched both the audio and video tapes of Speaker Uwajumogu’s defection to another party. I am challenging him to make those tapes available. Pray, this Professor from hell must be one of those that blackmailed the Executive Governor of Abia State with computer-manipulated pictures and tapes showing and portraying him as an occult grand master performing initiation rites and oath taking. In this era of computer firm tricks, there is no doubt that Professor Nathan Uzorma Protus and his sponsors have applied their trademark once again.

FACT NO. 6: Rt. Hon. Uwajumogu as a practising Christian cannot and has never involved himself in voodoo practices. His able and equally vibrant colleagues saw in him, a focused and practical leader who has the interest and progress of Imo State House of Assembly at heart. Having observed Speaker Uwajumogu and his honest style of leadership, the number of people oriented bills and motions, and of course the turnaround maintenance and renovation going on within the Assembly complex, the honourable members on their own (without anybody prompting them) passed a vote of implicit confidence on Rt. Hon. Chief Benjamine Uwajumogu. The first on was in December 2011 by Hon. Dr. Sam daddy Anyanwu while the second one was by Hon. Barrister Gregory Okemili in February 2013.

For this Professor from hell to show disdain for Speaker Uwajumogu’s acceptability and suitability among his colleagues, indicates that he andhis sponsors are not happy with the rising profile of the vibrant and ebullient Speaker.

FACT NO. 7: Since Rt. Hon. Uwajumogu won his election as member representing Ihitte/Uboma State Constituency under his Party, the PDP, he does not need to parade with any fake PDP membership card and INEC knows this much and cannot declare his seat vacant on mere allegations.

FACT NO. 8: All the records including audio and video tapes at the state Assembly are verifiable documents. For Professor Nathan to allege that they have been mutilated shows the extent he and his paymasters have gone to dent the image of the Rt. Hon. Speaker. This particular allegation will not lie low. Professor Nathan Uzorma will be officially invited (summoned) to the Assembly to prove this allegation. The law will come heavily upon him if he fails to prove this allegation. (I will personally see to this).

FACT NO. 9: Rt. Hon. Uwajumogu as a peace loving man has never threatened anybody in his life, not to talk of members of his party, the PDP. Even the publishers of IMO TRUMPETA newspapers, the platform Professor Nathan uses to allege the unimaginable know that speaker Uwajumogu is a peace loving man.

Final fact: The Imo State House of Assembly under the able and visionary leadership of speaker Uwajumogu is the most productive and proactive State Assembly in Nigeria. We have made so many people-oriented laws and motions that have continued to benefit the common man in the society. The activities of the Assembly can be accessed on the internet, blogs, Facebook, national newspapers, local newspapers, and magazines and on the streets of Imo State by the people of Imo State. The achievements of His Excellency Owelle Rochas Okorocha could not have been possible if the Uwajumogu led House of Assembly have not been collaborating and cooperating with the executive. Even the Minister for Information (Mr. Labaran Maku)in his recent good governance tour to the state expressed great joy, happiness and support for the state government due to what he physically saw on ground in the state.

Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu will continue to lead his colleagues at the Assembly in Lawmaking, Appropriation and Oversight functions. Now that I am in my full element; the likes of Professor Nathan Uzorma Protus and their Sponsors will never be allowed to distract and disturb this vibrant and ebullient Speaker of our time.

Imo must continue to be better.

I rest my pen.

*Hon. Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha (FCAI) is Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly.

•Photo: Imo Speaker Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu.