(Tribune / Nigeria) — Legal fire works began on Monday in the seven-count charge slammed against the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, as the PDP spokesman opened his defence by calling his first witness to testify before Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Led in evidence by Metuh’s lead counsel, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), the witness, Mr, Ikeh Aboyin, told the court that former President Goodluck Jonathan asked Metuh for his corporate account number for payment for the commencement of activities that will re-position the image of the PDP, having approved the team, led by the CNC Connect, a consulting firm engaged by the Methu for that purpose.
The witness told the court that he knew PDP spokesman when he served as the Media Adviser to the then National Chairman of the party, Dr. Ezekwesile Nwodo, while Metuh was the party’s Vice Chairman, South East.
He said it was by virtue of his experience as a journalist and the PDP as a Media Adviser to the former National Chairman that Metuh invited him to function full-time as a consultant in the team he set up to improve the battered image of the PDP.
According to him, Chief Metuh chooses to work with CNC consulting firm in view of the efficiency and quality of service of the firm, which helped in packaging Nwodo’s programme of improving the image of the party when he (Nwodo) was national chairman of the party.
He said CNC consulting firm, managed by Mr. Yomi Badejo told Metuh that PDP was owing the firm from the work it did for the party during Nwodo’s tenure and Metuh assured them of payment when there is funds.
“We swung into action and came up with a strategy that will improve the image of the party to help the party will the 2015 general elections.
“We presented the strategy of our team, put together by Metuh, as the National Publicity Secretary of the party, the strategy was approved by President Jonathan and there and then, the President asked for Metuh’s corporate account for immediate mobilisation and action.
“Few days latter, Metuh called me that funds had been provided for the project to start,” he said, adding that he was aware that funding of the office of the National Publicity Secretary of the party comes from the party and the leader of the party, who then, was President Goodluck Jonathan.
Under cross examination by the prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, the defence witness said as a consultant to the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, his renumeration, along with other personal assistants to members of the National Working Committee of the party are paid by the party as they are considered as staff of the party.
He said in his remarks during the presentation of the team’s strategy to the president, in company of the then, Vice President Namadi Samabo and and other senior members of the party that the opinion of the public is that the President was weak.
The witness, Ike Aboyin, who resigned as the Acting Managing Director of New Telegraph Newspaper told the court that he had no knowledge of the source of the money paid for the publicity work of the team.
Earlier, the court had turned down a request for an adjournment by the new counsel to Metuh’s company, Destra Investment Company Limited, the second defendant in the matter, Tochukwu Onwugbufor (SAN).
Onwugbufor had applied for an adjournment to enable him study the processes filed before the court in the matter as he was appearing new in the matter for the second defendant.
But, the prosecution counsel objected to his oral application, arguing that he ought to have applied formally in writing three days before yesterday’s proceedings as contained in Section 349 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
Justice Abang however in his ruling after the evidence of the witness adjourned till April 20, 2016 for cross examination of the first defendant’s witness by the second defendant’s counsel, re-examination by the firts defendant and also for continuation of trial.
Metuh is standing trial alongside with his company, Destra Investment Company Limited for allegedly receiving N400 million money meant for the purchase of arms to fight the Boko Haram insurgents from former NSA on November 22, 2014, and used the funds for the PDP’s campaign activities.
The PDP spokesman had pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him by the Federal Government.
