Hon. Iduma Igariwey, newly appointed Deputy Chairman, House committee on Appropriation and member representing Afikpo North / Afikpo South Federal constituency in the House of Representatives has been sued for defamation by one of his opponents in the last election.
The opponent, Anthony Ekoh Jnr, a pharmacist is claiming the sum of one billion naira as damages to his person and his company, Ekoh Drugs Limited by Igariwey.
In a suit filed in an Abakaliki high court, Ekoh is claiming among other things that Igariwey defamed him by making repeated statements in both the print and social media that he, Ekoh was a fake pharmacist and secondary school dropout.
In a 54 point statement of claim, Ekoh claims he has been traumatized, made to look ordinary and has lost face in the society by the claims of Igariwey. He averred that he went to Federal Government college , Wukari where he not only completed his secondary education in 1985, but was an established sportsman and a house prefect.
He also went further to state that he studied Pharmacy in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and graduated in 2003/2004 academic year, did his mandatory internship with now Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki and duly licensed by the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria.
On the issue of exemption from National Youth Service Corp scheme, Ekoh stated that age barred him from participating in the programme but noted NYSC duly exempted him by issuing him a discharge certificate.
Ekoh noted that he has not only been practicing but has been honoured severally by both the local and national body of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and several other distinguished bodies in the country.
Mike Odo, Ekoh’s lawyer says the suit together with attached relevant documents have been served on the defendants and they are ready for the hearing.
” Elected politicians should show sportsmanship and respect to their opponents who lost the election and that it is strange that the honourable member of the House of Reps, Idu Igariwey can grant a press interview after the election and make criminal allegations against his political opponent when he has not verified his facts. We are ready to proceed with our case” Odo opines.
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