Re: Judgement for sale in Akwa Ibom state National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal

Re: Judgement for

sale in Akwa Ibom

State National

Assembly Election

Petition Tribunal

Leo Ekpenyong (Esq)
Leo Ekpenyong (Esq)

I write to debunk the tirade of Akwa Ibom State Government via its Attorney-General, Mr. Uwemedimo Nwoko against me as not just tissue of lies but a convoluted boondoggle.

As a minister in the temple of justice, I wish to remind the garrulous Nwoko whose style of despicable law practice over the years is known, that “truth is as constant as the northern star, of whose fixed rested quality, there is no fellow in the firmament”.

Secondly, as a first class communicator and journalist of repute, I wish to educate Nwoko and Akwa Ibom State Government that in as much as I stand by my well-informed investigative report on the clandestine activities of two of the judges of the Akwa Ibom State National Assembly Elections petition tribunal, holden in Uyo, I do not owe him the duty to disclose the source of my information. This position has been judicially settled in the celebrated and landmark case of Tony Momoh Vs The National Assembly.

Thirdly, my duty as a member of the fourth estate of the realm, as specifically enshrined in the 1999 Constitution empowers the media to serve as the watchdog of the society.

For the avoidance of doubt and for the education of Uwemedimo Nwoko as well as the Government of Akwa Ibom State, a Legal Practitioner is a major Stake-holder in our justice delivery system and by virtue of the rules of professional conduct, lawyers are enjoined to contribute their quota in the preservation of the sanctity of our noble legal profession.

Nwoko’s lame and unsuccessfully false claims of being compromised by the honourable minister of Niger-Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio is a mere figment of his imagination and speak volumes of Nwoko’s Penchance for lies, falsehood, dishonesty and treachery. At this juncture, I challenge Uwemedimo Nwoko to substantiate his spurious claims and give details of the circumstance of his false alarm of compromise. In as much as we have tremendous regard for the
honourable Minister of Niger- Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, we could not have been compromised by him or anyone for that matter because the activities of both our law and media firms are independent and rooted in truth, justice, accountability, equity, fairness, probity and good government in pursuit of the attainment of a just and egalitarian society.

Flowing from my enviable upbringing, pedigree and training under strict discipline and lawful authority with the fear of God, which is apparent Nwoko lacks, I will no condescend to his simpleton status synonymous with the role of a mercenary.

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For the records, I wish to remind Akwa Ibom State Government and their cronies that Governor Udom Emmanuel approached one of the judges of the tribunal who has been unwilling to accede to his request to compromise justice, in a surreptitious manner when the said judge was taking a fitness road walk in the wee-hours of the day, but was shamefully rebuffed.

For the temerity and shameless effrontery of Akwa Ibom State government, Uwemedimo Nwoko and their spin doctors to attempt spineless intimidation of civil and criminal actions against me, I

have good news for you. My investigative reports and findings will be sent to the national Judicial Council (NJC) and not in three (3) reputable National Newspapers. I will not dignify you by acceding to such a disdainful and contemptuous instruction.

Nwoko would have dissipated his energy to advise Governor Udom Emmanuel to be careful not to rewrite history and repeat the disastrous event of 2003 that led to the dismissal of venal judges of the Governorship tribunal, two of whom died of heart attack soon after the disbandment of the panel for occasioning gross judicial misconduct.

Finally, I enjoin Uwemedimo Nwoko and Akwa Ibom State Government to ponder on the instructive averments of a famous American Congress man who observed, “that extremism in defence of liberty, is no vice and moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue” Akwa Ibom State, shall be great again.

Leo Ekpenyong (Esq)

Managing Director

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