By Starrys Obazei | February 14, 2023
starrys@ddnewsonline.com
Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele, a civil rights activist and media practitioner, has denied allegations that he was the writer of a purported petition to the Christian Association of Nigeria by one Pastor Frank Onwumere of Dominion Centre International in respect of N2 billion given by the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi to Nigerian churches through the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN.
Aigbegbele in blunt disclaimer sent to media houses, traced the link to him because of a phone number he had stopped using since 2015.
The rights activist said: “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 – 08181884999 – 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. And it had since been used by someone else for years.
“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.”
Talking about his determination to continue as civil society activist, he said: “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.
“This is the handiwork of mischief makers who are hell bent to tarnish my hard-earned reputation built over decades.
“It is also 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.
“This is actually 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.”
Talking solemnly, he concluded: “I am not a party to the letter and Nigerians should, please, take note.”