Senior lawyer accuses govt agents of planning to eliminate his client
Ani Bassey
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mba Ukweni has accused agents of the Cross River State government of planning to eliminate his client, Dr. Oscar Ofuka.
Dr. Ofuka, an ex aide to the immediate past governor of the state Professor Ben Ayade on Cocoa Development and Control.
The former aide has been having a running battle with the present administration in the state following the allocation of hectares of cocoa that was allocated to people during the era of immediate past administration.
During his time as Special Adviser, Cocoa Development and Control, cocoa estates were allotted following two consent judgments of the state High Court.
The court ordered the Ayade administration extend the allocation for 1415 hectares from the total 4000 hectares of cocoa to be leased out so that the administration can have money to off set a sixteen years old debt that that the state government owed the cocoa landlords communities of Etung.
However, following the change of government, the former aide appears to hounded over his actions as Special Adviser and is standing trial in a magistrate court on allegation of murder.
His health condition has become critical in recent days and he slumped in court while facing charges by the state government.
Decrying the treatment of his client, Ukweni, SAN called for caution warning that should anything goes wrong with Ofuka, consequences will follow.
He said Ofuka was only an agent to the immediate past administration and not the one in charge of government stressing that money that was received for were paid into account of the state government and not into Ofuka ‘s pocket.
The human rights lawyer accused Secretary to State Government ( SSG) Prof Anthony Owan, of being behind Ofuka’s travail simply because he has personal interest.
“Most of you are aware of this problem. It’s is the cocoa in Etung. I must be frank to state clearly that Secretary to State Government SSG, Prof. Anthony Owan Enoh, using the State Security Adviser, retired Maj. Gen. Okoi Obono, now want to eliminate my client.
“Most of them had been working behind to appropriate the farm and sell part of it.
“There’s a vast portion of land they want to sell to one Mark Prince. It was Ofuka who met with the governor in their presence and let the governor know that that parcel of land does not belong to the father of Mark Prince ‘s late grandfather and that there is even a judgement of the court in favour of the state government.
“There have been various litigations in in respect of this, we have even have an order of High court of Etung,” Ukweni stressed.
The senior lawyer also charged the Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu to heed to advice of the state Solicitor General on the contentious cocoa allocation issues in Etung local government area of the state so that matters doesn’t go out of hand.
He was latter ordered to be taken to the police clinic where he can have access to medical attention because of his illness health.
However Secretary to State Government SSG Prof Anthony Owan Enoh and the State Security Adviser retired Maj Gen. Okoi Ubon, have since denied their involvement in Ofuka’s travai
