Jittery, As Ogor, Onowakpo Fight Dirty Over Isoko Reps Seat

The enstraged member representing Isoko federal constituency, Mr Leo Ogor and his arch rival, Mr Joel Onowakpo Thomas have gone dirty with their campaigns for Isoko Federal Constituency Seat.

Onowakpo Thomas who is rooting to unseat Ogor in 2019 under the APC platform have launched series of campaign knockout against Leo Ogor over reported fraud case hanging on his neck.

Ogor have been under EFCC radar battling to clear his name over some phony constitutency project contracts awarded to companies linked to him. He is being bashed seriously by Onowakpo media aides who have launched an all-out attack against him on the social media.

The incumbent lawmaker who prior to his 2019 ambition enjoyed good support from a section of his constituents, started receiving disapproval of his candidature when he threw in his cap into the ring for the fifth time to re-contest the position despite outcry over his failing health condition

Following the bombardment, Ogor’s supporters have threatened to unleash counter attacks on Onowakpo over his deeds while he held sway as Chairman of the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, alleging that “there is so much to indict him for”.

Onowakpo’s media aide, Obah Sylva, had alleged that Ogor allegedly used some fake companies to award constituency project contract to himself, claiming that for the past 16 years, Ogor had used the mandate given to him by Isoko people to enrich himself as “a contractor and a lawmaker”.

He said that Ogor was no longer fit to represent the people going by the fraud case in which he allegedly tried to shortchange his constituents.

BigPen Online reports that some of the constituency projects that were allegedly awarded to the “fake companies” are currently under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Recalls that anti-graft commission had some times ago obtained a warrant to arrest Ogor for refusing to honour series of invitations concerning the constituency projects that purportedly awarded to the fake companies linked to him.

Obah said that owing to the controversy surrounding the allegations against Ogor, his boss, had said during the official inauguration of his campaign council and committee that he would not be a “legislator and a contractor at the same time”.

But Ogor spokesperson, Obaro Itewo took a swipe at Onowakpo media aide saying that “it’s unfortunate how you have adopted Lai Mohammed campaign strategy which centred on conjuring and dispensing lies beyond anyone imagination”.

He dismissed the claims that Ogor was the contractor for the contention constituency projects even as he was quick to add that “there is no known law that criminalized or prevent a company linked to lawmakers from executing contract if that company satisfy the requirements of the tender board”.

He said that the fraud allegations against Ogor in which EFCC had threatened to declare him wanted if he fails to appear before it in December, were “mere political witch-hunt” in which, “no court anywhere has ever indicted him, insisting: “EFCC accusations are not court judgement that should indict one of alleged fraudulent activities”.

But Obah however fired back. He said that Ogor’s aide goofed by claiming that “there is no law criminalizing government official in executing public contracts” while trying to defence the allegations against his boss that he has been using fictitious companies in execution of constituency projects.

He quoted the Public Procurement Act – Part Xl and the Code Of Conduct section (9), subsection (b) to back his claims against Leo Ogor.

The relevant sections read:

(9) “Every public officer involved directly or indirectly in matters of public procurement and disposal of assets shall:

(b) “Not engage or participate in any commercial transaction involving the federal government, its ministries, and extra-ministerial departments, corporations where his capacity as public officer is likely to confer any unfair advantage – pecuniary or otherwise on him or any person directly related to him”?

He said that the Code of Conduct Bureau Act, forbids public office holders to engage in any form of business, be it trading, contract etc or serving as director of any company while in office. However, they are only permitted to engage in agriculture”.

Meanwhile, reports say in September, Isoko indigenes had urged Ogor to quit politics and take care of his health. Pundits says controversy is trailing Ogor candidacy because he was in the race to recoup the money he has wasted while pursuing the EFCC case and solving his health challenge.

The source claimed that Ogor had begged Isoko people to give him another chance because he has lost so much.

BigPen Online gathered that the new campaign trend is coming a week after some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Isoko, Delta State, were said to have rejected the candidature of Ogor.

Leader of the pro-PDP group dubbed as “Election Beyond Party Lines”, Prince Anthony Ovrawah had said that they resolved to support Onowakpo Thomas for the position against Ogor due to his overbearing posture to the seat and following the federal lawmaker’s “critical” health challenge, which has made it impossible for him to attend plenary for the past five months.

Ovrawah had admonished Ogor to drop his ambition to take proper care of his failing health, adding that they wouldn’t want a continuation of representation by proxy.

Explaining the decision of the PDP members, he said: “Honourable Leo Ogor should take a bow and retire home peacefully and attend to his ill health which calls for urgent attention.

“Be that as it may, we in the PDP rejected and disowned Honourable Leo Ogor as his emergence as flagbearer of our party, PDP, has made it look like a mockery, foolery, and insult to the sensibility of Isoko nation”.