Documents can’t disprove private conversations, Waive tells Omo-Agege

The member representing Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Francis E. Waive, has fired back at former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, over the controversy surrounding the proposed Federal Medical Centre, Ovwian Bill.

Waive, in a statement issued by his Media Office yesterday, said the existence of presidential approval for the establishment of the Federal Polytechnic, Orogun, was not in dispute, insisting that such approval could not, by itself, disprove a private conversation between him and Omo-Agege.

He said the issue at stake was a conversation concerning the Federal Medical Centre, Ovwian Bill after it passed first reading in the House of Representatives on July 21, 2020.

According to Waive, Omo-Agege had asked that the FMC Bill be stepped down and allegedly worked to frustrate its passage on the grounds that it conflicted with his bill seeking the establishment of the Federal Polytechnic, Orogun.

Waive said it was particularly unfortunate that while he assisted Omo-Agege’s Polytechnic Bill through concurrence in the House, Omo-Agege allegedly frustrated his own bill on the Federal Medical Centre.

He said: “The existence of a presidential approval for the Federal Polytechnic, Orogun, is not in dispute. A presidential approval cannot, by itself, prove that the conversation between the two politicians did not take place.”

Waive challenged Omo-Agege to directly address the substance of the allegation rather than resorting to what he described as personal attacks, name-calling and attempts to rewrite the history of the matter.

“If Senator Omo-Agege’s position is that the conversation never happened, the appropriate response is simply to deny the conversation and provide whatever evidence he considers necessary to support his position,” he said.

The lawmaker also rejected claims that his legislative achievements were dependent on any individual, stressing that he was elected by the people of Ughelli North, Ughelli South and Udu Federal Constituency to represent their interests.

He described the claim that he had “nothing to show” after seven years as a political assertion that could not substitute for evidence.

“His legislative record is available for public scrutiny, just as the records of every other public office holder are,” he said.

Waive urged the people of Delta Central to distinguish between documentary evidence and claims about private conversations, saying the electorate deserved facts rather than personal attacks.

He further maintained that he stood by his account of the events surrounding the FMC Bill and would not be distracted by attacks on his person, faith, family, political history or qualifications.

Waive said: “The people of Delta Central are sophisticated enough to distinguish between a documentary record and an assertion about a private conversation. They deserve facts, not personal attacks.”

He consequently challenged Omo-Agege to focus on the substantive issue and desist from what he described as name-calling.

Waive added that Omo-Agege’s approach to politics was “archaic, retrogressive and catastrophic,” urging him to reconsider his political strategy before it was too late.