By Idongesit Ashameri
Special Correspondent, Uyo
For defaming the character of its client, Mr. Paul Owo; Samuel Ikpo and Company, Barrister and Solicitors of the Supreme Court, has demanded the payment of N50 million to assuage the damages suffered by him.
The demand by the legal firm was contained in a letter sent to the defendant, dated March 31, 2014 and made available to our Correspondent, with the title, RE: Defamation of the character of Hon. Paul Owo and endorsed by, Inimfon Eddie Esq.
The letter stated that the client had informed the chamber that a local weekly publication on or about March 17, 2014 had falsely and maliciously published concerning him on page two, volume 21 of its publication.
An extract from the said article, according to the letter reads: “The Ukwok born politician is said to have engaged in mass falsification of his credentials, including his certificate of origin and had since sworn false affidavit to ascertain his origin from Ikono, which he believes as a necessary tool that could add credence to his ambition” Providing a legal interpretation to the extract; Eddie said his client had been accused of having forged several documents including his certificate of origin, saying that such has tarnished Owo’s image and rendered him not fit to associate with the decent people in the society as well as not fit to be a member of the state House of Assembly nor aspire for other political offices in the state or country.
Demands by the solicitors, operating at Zion Chambers, 26 Oron Road Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital are that; a retraction of the said publication be published on the same newspaper, at the front page and the sum of N50 million be paid to the chambers for onward transmission to its client.
The amount, according to the letter, was to assuage the damages suffered by him as a result of the offending publication within seven days upon the receipt of the letter or be compelled to seek redress in court and claim damages.
In a private interaction with our correspondent; the defamed; Paul Owo, who is a two-term member representing Ini state constituency in the state House of Assembly wondered how he will go about seeking a new certificate of origin, when he already used one to win elections as the council chairman of Ini LGA and as a two-term member representing Ini people in the state House of Assembly respectively.
Owo who said he is yet to declare his ambition to contest for any political office in 2015 retorted: “Everybody knows that Paul Owo is from Ini Local Government Area. I have been a council chairman of Ini.
I have represented the people of Ini for two terms now; so if I’m seeking election, I do not need any other document nor another certificate of origin from any other local government. I am eligible to contest for that post.
“If I’m going for House of Reps, it is open for anybody who feels he or she is qualified in Ikono or Ini local government areas so I don’t need to claim any other local government to be qualified. This is the most annoying part of the whole write up and I have asked my lawyer to write to them.
Let them not come begging me, I want this to serve as deterrent to others.
“When I’m ready to contest election into the federal House to represent Ikono/Ini federal constituency, I shall not need another certificate of origin because I already had one”.
The post A’Ibom law firm demands N50m damages for client appeared first on Daily Independent, Nigerian Newspaper - news,sports,politics,bussiness.