By Adadainfo
Sen Andy Uba, former Anambra governor, Friday, said the N50m a court ruled that he owed Prince Arthur Eze was not borrowed but a sum Eze donated to him during his senatorial campaign in 2015.
Recall that a Federal High Court, Abuja, had ordered the seizure of Uba’s vehicles as part of the execution of the recovery of the sum.
Uba clarified this in a statement. According to him, “My attention has been drawn to the defamatory, maligning and character injurious publications in the print and electronic medium, as well as social media platforms on malicious falsehood and allegations arising from the execution of the judgement of the High Court of Anambra State in suit No: AG/94/2016, through the bailiffs of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja on 23/8/2022.
”I never borrowed N50,000,000 from Prince Arthur Eze. Both of us only attended a church service at St James Anglican Church, Uga, Aguata L.G.A, Anambra State, during my senatorial campaign in the build-up to 2015 general elections.
“In the course of the church service, Prince Arthur Eze donated N50,000,000 to support my senatorial political campaign on the altar and the entire congregant was engulfed with joy and happiness which made the officiating priest extend a warm handshake of gratitude and appreciation for his kind gesture and I equally sent a letter of appreciation dated 22/2/2015 to Prince Arthur Eze.
“I was dumbfounded, surprised and flabbergasted having learnt that my bosom friend and brother had, through his company, Oranto Petroleum Limited, through which the said cheque of N50,000,000 was drawn, had filed an action one year after at the High Court of Anambra State, Aguata division sitting at Ekwulobia in suit No: AG/94/2016, through what they called (undefended list) orocedure or liquidated money demand or summary judgment procedure.
“The pertinent question on the lips of many people would be, do people go to the rooftops to praise or thank others for granting them loan facilities?
“How many people have you seen that secured a loan facility from a bank or an individual and went to church praising the creditor for granting them such a loan facility which would only be repaid?
“I quickly engaged my lawyers who filed my defence on merit, denying the allegations that the said money was a loan but a free will donation. Unfortunately despite our obvious defence and issues having been joined, the trial court refused and failed to afford us fair hearing by having the matter heard on full-blown trial where witnesses will be called and evidence led, but proceeded to hear the matter on (undefended list) procedure or summary judgment procedure, that is, hearing the case on only the allegations and documents filed by the plaintiff (Oranto Petroleum Limited) without contradiction, whatsoever.
“The court went ahead to grant all the reliefs and entered judgement in favour of the plaintiff on 6/3/2017.
“I also challenged that hearing the matter on the undefended list without my input amounts to a breach of my fundamental right to fair hearing guaranteed under section 36 of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria (as amended), which occasioned a miscarriage of justice.
“However, there was an intervention by some Anambra stakeholders and I was approached by Prince Austin Ndigwe (Uzu-Awka) who is a mutual friend of myself and Prince Arthur Eze for an amicable settlement of the matter out of court.
“I was thereupon, after a meeting between myself and Prince Arthur Eze at his Enugu residence which was championed by Prince Austin Ndigwe (Uzu-Awka), instigated by way of advice to withdraw the appeal on the ground that Prince Arthur Eze had then become satisfied that the money was a donation for my senatorial political campaign and not a loan as he was meant to believe earlier.
“I was deeply astonished and shocked beyond bone marrow when I learnt that my brother and mutual friend, Prince Arthur Eze, despite his undertakings at the meeting had reneged his promises on the gentlemanly and brotherly agreement we had and surprisingly surfaced in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, registered and immediately executed the said judgement of the High Court of Anambra State, Aguata division, sitting at Ekwulobia.”
