We have learnt not to categorize politicians by their words alone. According to Oliver Wendell Holmes, ” in the free market of ideas , truth will grapple with falsehood, but truth will ultimately triumph “. Lord Atkins in the famous case of UAC vs. MCFOY, declared in judicial immortality that , ” one cannot build on nothing, expecting same to stand. And illegality however long tolerated cannot transform to legality “. And truth remains constant even without promoters and defenders and cheerleaders !
There is such thing as “empty claims” and often times, it is a neighbour to a clanging cymbal – wherever you see one, you see the other.
In very short and quick succession, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba has shown himself to be everything but his high-sounding claims.
The high standing of integrity he claims is as false as his over-hyped closeness with the highest of influential and powerful personalities and interests in Nigeria and beyond.
And so against all expectations, residents were treated to a mild drama, very despicable twist on Tuesday, June 25 , 2019 in the morning hours at the Gudu District of Abuja residence of the “Hon”. Emeka Nwajiuba as he was holed up in his house for hours in a desperate attempt to evade service of Court processes.
Trouble started when a Bailiff, Usman Mohammed, from the Court of Appeal arrived the residence at Bamanga Tukur Street, Plot 1268, Gudu District, FCT, Abuja, to serve the “Hon”. Nwajiuba with some Court processes. In the worst of professional relationship and existence, even the lawyers who had represented his interest at the High Court of the FCT in Kubwa from where the appeal to the Court of Appeal originated, had rejected and resisted the service of the Court processes. According to the legal practitioner who handled the matter for Nwajiuba at the Lower Court, and which judgement founded the appeal for which the processes are served from the Court of Appeal, there is no valid instruction to act for him at the Court of Appeal. This is possibly true, but deeply laughable.
On this premise , and in view of the need for service to be undertaken on him personally, the Court Bailiff arrived his house just at day break . And it was confirmed that he was in the residence. All efforts to get him to come out to receive the processes failed, but the resilient Bailiff stood his ground that he would not leave until he effected service.
The BAILIFF waited for over seven (7) hours until thugs loyal to the ” Hon “. Nwajiuba emerged to threaten and harass the Bailiff. He was told to proceed to Nwajiuba’s office address at TETFUND to effect the service there. And one is tempted to ask if Nwajiuba remains and functions as the Chairman of the TETFUND , even upon the disputed inauguration as a Member of the National Assembly , Abuja in June 11 , 2019. This is another twist in the evolving political drama in the circumstances! Interestingly, the Court Bailiff clinically chronicled his sordid and sore experience in the hands of Nwajiuba and his paid thugs as evident in the supporting AFFIDAVIT!!!
It will be recalled that ” Hon ” . Emeka Nwajiuba inspite of his now false posturing as the extension of Buhari and the Presidency in Imo State , lost the primaries of the APC, instigated crises in the party and fled to the Accord Party, and also lost again to the APC Candidate in the general election . Without recourse to decency and decorum, Nwajiuba eventually , though patently defective, found a way to surreptitiously obtain an Order from the High Court in Kubwa.
The Judgement and the subsequent consequential Order(s) secured on different dates outside the mandatory 180 days as required by the combined provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended as well as the Electoral Act , 2010 as amended, have been the subject of intense litigation , and is currently pending before the Court of Appeal.
Perhaps, in the estimation of the ” Hon “. Emeka Nwajuba, he believes that by merely evading service, he would frustrate the case at the Court of Appeal. How wrong he was! His stunt a few days ago, was so far embarrassing, unbecoming of a Federal Lawmaker in Nigeria!
And in the shameful drama, one is therefore, left to wonder why a man who has nothing to hide, would elect to scram under the bed.
This runs counter to his self-acclaimed reputation of being the ” poster boy ” of the Buhari administration in Imo State especially, and the Igbo Nation generally. This continued misrepresentation in the deployment of the name of the President and the Presidency, in the revealed criminal and dishonest and fraudulent activities leading to the Judgement been appealed, casts the Federal Government in negative pictures. The Buhari administration and the APC leadership are apostles and promoters and defenders and crusaders of democratic best practices, stickers for rule of law and due process which cannot be incurably blackmailed and stained through the Emeka Nwajiuba political and judicial drama!
And flowing from the facts and evidence and records and proofs, somebody should tell Nwajiuba to come out from under the bed to face the BAILIFF.
At this level and in high profile cases as this, evasion of service would only amount to the postponement of an evil day.
Run wherever he wants to; hide however he wants, the ” Hon “. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba would have his day in Court. The abracadabra sprung in the people of the Ehime Mbano / Ihitte Uboma / Obowo Federal Constituency of Imo State must undergo strictest judicial scrutiny. And the process is already set in motion, as the wheel of justice steadily grinds, yet surely. And the COURT OF APPEAL, here we are fundamentally and constitutionally!!!!
And let Truth and Constitutionalism prevail always, and be allowed to flow like a river non-stop!!!!!
Temple Okonji Esq, wrote in from Abuja
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