A group, the Niger Data Mobilisation Team, alongside indigenes of Nkpa community in Abia State, has called on Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and his former campaign Director-General, Trump Eke, to withdraw a lawsuit filed against community advocate Darlington Agoha over allegations relating to a Federal Government-funded road project.
Addressing journalists at the High Court premises in Umuahia on Monday, the group, led by Dixon Uwakwe, accused the defendants of using litigation to silence demands for accountability over the execution of the N1.3 billion Ecological Fund project on Nkpa Road. The group claimed that Agoha had spent the past two years facing what it described as judicial intimidation for raising concerns about the quality of work carried out on the project.
According to Uwakwe, residents expected a properly executed road project but were instead left with substandard infrastructure and failing structures despite the funds allocated for the project. He alleged that the lawsuit filed by Eke was intended to shield public officials from scrutiny and demanded that it be withdrawn within 72 hours.
Counsel to the defendant, Vincent Nwabueze, also criticised the defamation suit, describing it as an attempt to intimidate citizens who questioned the condition of a federal road project allegedly left incomplete despite claims that the contractor had received full payment. Nwabueze said the concerns raised by Agoha were driven by the hardship residents continue to face due to the state of the road.
Responding to the allegations, Eke maintained that the matter was already before the court and should be left for judicial determination. “The matters that we feel are defamatory are before the court. It is left to the court to decide whether or not he has defamed me and the person of the Deputy Speaker,” he said.
While acknowledging the group's right to protest and issue ultimatums, Eke insisted he also had the right to defend his reputation as a public office holder. “They have a right to issue an ultimatum. It is part of our democratic culture. You will always have your say. The court will have its way,” he added.
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