AN activist, Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele has denied writing a petition over an alleged misappropriation of N2 billion given by the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, to churches under the umbrella of the Christian Association of Nigeria.
Aigbegbele in a statement said his family members had been inundated with calls from friends, associates, comrades and well-wishers trying to find out his link to the letter.
A pastor of the Dominion Centre International, Frank Onwumere had in a petition to the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria alleged misappropriation of N2 billion given to religious leaders by Obi.
However, Onwumere has dissociated himself from the purported letter, saying he “did not author the said petition and did not authorise anybody to do so on my behalf”.
The former chairman of Okigwe Local Government in Imo State also said he was not a member of Dominion Centre International and had “never had any relationship with the organization”.
According to the petition, the money was given to religious leaders by the Labour Party to help and assist in mobilising and convincing their congregation to vote massively for the candidacy of Peter Obi.
CAN however on Sunday distanced itself from the purported N2 billion allegedly given by Obi to churches under its umbrella.
While urging the public to disregard the purported petition as its content was not only untrue but also malicious, CAN said it would probe the source of the letter in the public interest.
It described the letter as malicious and untrue, but warned those peddling the falsehood to desist from such act because they were capable of defaming innocent people and revered religious institutions as well as breaching public peace.
Aigbegbele said, “My attention and that of my family has been drawn to the purported letter written to the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, in respect to a petition written by one Pastor Frank Onwumere of Dominion Centre International in view of N2 billion given by the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, to the Christian Association of Nigerian, CAN.
“Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have bothered to respond to this but my family members are inundated with calls from friends, associates, comrades and well-wishers across the country and beyond wishing to find out the facts, hence I have decided to respond accordingly.
“To begin with, I am not a clergy man but a civil society activist and media practitioner. I want to categorically state that the said phone number used -081818884999–has been retrieved by the telecom company several years ago and it had not been used by me since then, probably in 2015.
“The said phone number had never been used by me for any transaction whatsoever until this day it was brought to my attention. This fact can be checked with the telecom company for due diligence.
“And I have explained same to my lawyers and will also state that I am not a card carrying member of any political party and would therefore not be part of such a letter.
“I want to advise my friends, family and Nigerians to disregard and discountenance the said number and inuendoes by fifth columnists and enemies of the hard work I have been putting to make government accountable to Nigerians on daily basis as result of my civil society advocacy and social crusade over the years.
“I have fought on the side of the people and will continuously fight on the side of accountability, transparency and good governance in the country and as such cannot associate myself with such. The said phone number has since been used by someone else for years.
“It is the handiwork of mischief makers who are hell bent to tarnish my hard-earned reputation built over decades. This is a calculated plan by enemies of good governance and transparency in Nigeria who will do anything to get back at me and the civil society movement in Nigeria.
“It is a figment of the author’s imagination and I wholeheartedly dismiss and condemn the usage of a former phone number used by me for this act, and my family has informed my lawyers accordingly. I am not a party to the letter and Nigerians should, please, take note.”
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