With video ‘evidence’ Andy Uba denies N50m debt to Arthur Eze, says it was a donation

The widely reported claim that Andy Uba borrowed N50 million from millionaire businessman Prince Arthur Eze has received a response from the former senator from the Anambra South Senatorial District.

In response to an alleged unpaid debt, bailiffs from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on Tuesday entered the ex-home lawmaker’s at 49 T.Y. Danjuma Street, Asokoro, Abuja, and removed various vehicles.
In 2017, Justice Mbonu Nwenyi of the Anambra State High Court, Aguata, issued a judgement authorising Oranto Petroleum to confiscate the politician’s assets worth N50 million. This decision was followed by a court decision on June 30 approving a move to enforce that judgement.

However, in a statement issued on Friday, Uba denied that he borrowed N50million from the billionaire businessman in the run-up to the 2015 general elections.

He added that Eze donated the said N50 million to support his 2015 senatorial bid during a church service at St. James Anglican Church in Uga, Aguata local government area of Anambra State.

The former lawmaker also attached a video of the event where the chairman of Oranto Petroleum donated the N50 million in order to clear his name from the controversy generated by the businessman’s claim.

The statement read: “My attention has been drawn to the defamatory, maligning and character injurious publications in the print and electronic medium, as well as social media platforms on malicious falsehood and allegations arising from the execution of the judgement of the High Court of Anambra State in suit No: AG/94/2016, through the bailiffs of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja on 23/8/2022.

“It is fundamentally imperative to unequivocally state in clear and categorical terms the true factual position, thus:

“For the avoidance of doubt, I never borrowed N50m from Prince Arthur Eze, both of us only attended a church service at St. James Anglican Church Uga, Aguata L.G.A, Anambra State during my senatorial campaign in the build-up to 2015 general elections.

“In the course of the said church service, Prince Arthur Eze donated N50m to support my senatorial political campaign on the altar and the entire congregant was engulfed with joy and happiness which made the officiating priest extend a warm handshake of gratitude and appreciation for his kind gesture and I equally sent a letter of appreciation dated 22/2/2015 to Prince Arthur Eze.

“I was dumbfounded, surprised and flabbergasted having learnt that my bosom friend and brother, had through his company Oranto Petroleum Limited through which the said cheque of N50m was drawn had filed an action one year after at the High Court of Anambra State, Aguata division sitting at Ekwulobia in suit No: AG/94/2016, through what they called (undefended list) Procedure or liquidated money demand or summary judgment procedure.

“The pertinent question on the lips of many people would be, do people go to the rooftops to praise or thank others for granting them loan facilities? How many people have you seen that secured a loan facility from a bank or an individual and went to church praising the creditor for granting them such a loan facility which would only be repaid?

“I was deeply astonished and shocked beyond bone marrow when I learnt that my brother and mutual friend, Prince Arthur Eze, despite his undertakings at the meeting had reneged his promises on the gentlemanly and brotherly agreement we had and surprisingly surfaced in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, registered and immediately executed the said judgement of the High Court of Anambra State, Aguata division sitting at Ekwulobia.

“The subject matter of my appeal to the Court of Appeal Enugu, with the sole intention to embarrass, defame and reduce my reputation before the right-thinking members of the public using numerous hired social media platforms.

“For purposes of clarity, I attached herewith a video clip of Prince Arthur Eze’s donation of N50m to my political campaign for election into the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to represent the Anambra South Senatorial District in the Senate of the National Assembly, made at St. James Anglican church Uga, Aguata LGA, Anambra State.

“This is contrary to the information being circulated in several print and electronic mediums, as well as social media platforms to the effect that the above sum was an interest-free friendly loan, which is a calculated attempt to defame and malign my noble character and hard-earned reputation.”