PUBLICATION–028MM2023
Barrister Ocha Ulegede instituted a suit at the Federal High Court Makurdi against INEC and others for the restoration of the denied Uwokwu State Constituency. He appealed when the matter was not decided in his favor to Court of appeal sitting at Abuja and won in 2007, the decision of the court was denied and disobeyed. In 2010, he instituted a technical matter of contempt against INEC and others.
On the 9th of March,2011, Professor Atahiru Jega on behalf of INEC formally wrote a letter to the court through INEC’s counsel that, UWOKWU STATE CONSTITUENCY IN BENUE STATE ASSEMBLY BE RESTORED. Consequently, election to Uwokwu State constituency was conducted on the 10th September, 2011. Honourable Dr. Jairus Erube was declared and returned as the winner of the election.
As the constituency flourishes, may history be kind to Barrister Ulegede.
Addition on 9th June 2023
N/B: Let me appreciate all the readers of MYEKEE MEDIA.
From the information gotten after the publication of this article, There are many people involved in the process of the litigation that led to the restoration of UWOKWU STATE CONSTITUENCY.
Bar Ulegede was part of it as the external head of the legal team and not the only one.
I am working on more details and I will publish a more comprehensive narration as soon as I'm done.
Thanks greatly for your time and understanding.
Ebi Ologbo: from Bar Ulegede: SOME PEOPLE SOMEWHERE, WHO ARE HOWEVER NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE CONTINUED USE OF THE NAME UWOKWU, WHO FOUND THEMSELVES WITHIN GOVT. AFTER I GOT THE CONSTITUENCY RESTORED ARE SIMPLY PLAYING POLITICS HERE WHEN THEY SMUGGLED THE NOMENCLATURE "OJU II" IN PLACE OF UWOKWU. I WAS NOT PLAYING POLITICS WHEN I EMBARKED ON THE PROJECT AND I WAS SATISFIED IN THE RESTORATION. WHATEVER NAME CAME AFTER WAS NOT REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. POLITICIANS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CHANGE TO "OJU I" KNOW THEMSELVES.
[10.06.23 06:25]
Bar Ulegede
I just stumbled on this post about 11.15 pm on my return from Jos. I must thank the initiator(s) of this platform and the spotlight on the restoration of Uwokwu state constituency in Oju LGA of Benue State for which I am privileged to initiate and complete by the grace of God Almighty. I however wish to correct the following: (1) I commenced the legal action at the Federal High Court Abuja, presided over by Hon Justice Nyako, who happened to be my law school mate, and not Makurdi, in 2015 and lost. I appealed the decision and won the Appeal in 2007. I only completed the actual restoration at the Federal High Court. Makurdi in 2011, when I commenced contempt proceeding against Prof Jega for failure to comply with the decision of the Court of Appeal Abuja. (2) About the end of your post, you said that you got information that there are many persons involved in the process of getting the Uwokwu State Constituency restored, and that I was only part of the process as the external head of the legal team and not the only one. That is ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE. I challenge anyone to come out and tell the world that he or she is part of it.
Here is how it started. I must not forget to thank my mentor, professor Ode Ojowu for the role he played. I discussed my intention to commenced the legal battle on the Uwokwu State constituency and requested for a loan of N50,000 to enable me put the documentation together and travel to meet the them chairman of Oju LG for endorsement with the promise to return it to him. He obliged me the loan which enabled me to do the needful. I travelled from Abuja to meet the then chairman of Oju Local Govt and his vice, the vice happened to be my younger brother now the Ad'Utu Oju. I discussed and explained my mission and requested the endorsement of the documents to enable me return to Abuja and filed them. To my greatest surprise, the chairman of the local government himself from Uwokwu state constituency refused. I was disappointed, downcast and did not know what to do. However, I convinced my younger brother, Dr Daniel Ulegede, now Ad'Utu Oju to sign the documents and he obliged me. I returned to Abuja and filed. I was able to return the N50,000 I borrowed from Prof Ojowu. It is necessary to state here that I was moved to plunge into this project when I became aware that SENATOR Ameh Ebute and some Idoma lawyers had gone to court to seek for the restoration of the state constituencies in the Idoma area minus that of the Igede. The case I filed and thiers came up in the same court on the same day. Senstor Ebute and his colleagues as well as the then chairman of Ogbadibo were surprised to see me in court and asked what the matter was and when they knew why I was in court, they pleaded that we should have my case to be consolidated with thiers and I rejected the suggestion and told them my disappointment with thier action in not carrying the Igede people along. I made it clear to them that I was in court to demonstrate to them that Igede nation can stand on its own without them since they believed Igede cannot do without them. They lost their case and I lost my case. I was not done and I appealed the decision. They did not. Now, I am compelled to go into this narration to correct the wrong impression being created by some persons, that they spent millions in fighting this battle. The greatest discouragement I received in my fight to get the constituency restored came from the Uwokwu people led by late Acha Otiongon, then chairman Oju LG., and particularly from Mr Eru, then a director at the INEC headquarters in Abuja. He flatly told me to my face and all who cared to listen that I cannot challenge the government and succeed. When I commenced the contempt proceedings and the court directed Prof Jega and the key officers of INEC to report in court in Makurdi on a particular date to show cause why they should not be sent to prison and to remain there until they comply with the decision of the Court of Appeal, I was invited by INEC chairman through the secretary to INEC headquarters in Abuja.
I went and I completed ignored Eru even though he was in the office. I was asked to draft the terms of the letter by INEC the way I wanted which I did. It was the draft I made that INEC adopted as its letter to the Federal High Court Makurdi restoring the constituency. Engr Oluji Okwoche was said to have played a very crucial role and spent millions of naira on the project. At a point he asked when we were going to Igede to explain the role played in getting the constituency restored. When I was asked to be home to do that I called him but he refused to come. I had the opportunity during which I explained everything I did to get the constituency restored to the people of Igede at the council Hall in Oju and challenged everyone who claimed he played any role including spending of money to come out and Challenge me but none came to do so since then and to date because there was nothing like that. It was at Federal High Court Makurdi here that Sir Ugalahi and some others came to encourage me during the contempt process against INEC. It is not in my character to drum up any thing I did or am capable of doing for Igede nation. It is rather the delight of some of us to force ourselves into situations we have nothing to do with for political relevance, gains and advantage. I am not one. I have been invited to take chieftaincy titles and awards on account of this but I declined. My correcting thse misconceptions here is not meant to stop you from seeking the information you were told of those others that fought for the restoration and making me just the external counsel. Nobody sent me to do what I did and I did not ask for any payment. I recalled what Gov Suswuam told the people of Igede in the presence of his deputy at the local government Council Hall that of all the suppressed state constituencies in Nigeria that ONLY UWOKWU was restored through my efforts and that not even those of them in the national assembly were able to get thiers restored and he wondered if the people Igede could even afford the amount of money that could have made that possible. The judgments of the courts are there along with the INEC letter restoring the constituency and can be accessed and l can publish them if you so desire. I rest my case for now and until you reveal those you were told fought the battle. Thank you. Remain blessed and safe ijmn. God bless Igede nation. The need to make this comment is really meant to put the record straight now that the issue is gone public if not I have avoided joining issues on it after I had the opportunity to telling Igede people of how I started and ended it. RECENTLY, I WAS APPROACHED BY SOME GROUP TO TAKE UP THE ISSUE OF THE CHANGE OF UWOKWU TO OJU II. I DO NOT KNOW WHO CHANGED THE NAME. TO ME, THIS IS MORE OF CONTEMPT OF THE COURT JUDGMENT BUT......
Ocha Ulegede
Thanks greatly for your comprehensive narration.
History will be kind to you and God will reward you.
I had the need to put the appendage because of information I received after the post. I hope to do more and put up a harmonize version if necessary. We have a duty at myekeemedia to put Igede historical facts and noble feats on a global scale for posterity.
Thanks greatly the silk
God bless you sir. The Ulegedes are not sycophants and noise makers like some incompetent politicians and the likes of some community humming leaders that have not achieve anything for their people but only to stand on the efforts of the dogged fighters of hope in Igede nation. I read your narration from the beginning to the end is only the truth that can sounds this way. I'm touched by your selfless services to your people. Once again, May God be Kind to you sir in IJN. Fabian Ogbu [12.06.23 19:28]
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