A lawyer, Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume, SAN, has petitioned the Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, over alleged illegal demolition of an ultra-modern paint factory by a chieftain of the party, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, in Enugu State.
Ume, in a petition signed by Jerome Mukang, a lawyer in his law firm on behalf of Legacy Paints Limited, also copied the APC presidential candidate, Sen Bola Tinubu.
He said the demolition was carried out during the pendency of a lawsuit over matters relating to the disputed plot of land.
The senior lawyer, in the petition dated Dec. 23 which was also addressed to the APC’s presidential candidate, Sen. Bola Tinubu, urged the two leaders to investigate Kennedy-Ohanenye, who was also the only female presidential aspirant in the party’s primary.
He alleged that the demolition of the chemical industry located at Plot M4, Cattle Lairage, Emene, Enugu State and with over 70 staff on its payroll, was orchestrated by Kennedy-Ohanenye.
The lawyer narrated how Kennedy-Ohanenye allegedly used the APC youth leader, Mazi Ezinwa, and other youth wing members to damage, pull down and totally destroy the operational paint factory premises when matters on the land dispute were pending in several courts.
The petition reads in part: “It is on record that in 2013, our client, Legacy Paints Limited, was granted Certificate of Occupancy over a piece of land by the Enugu State Government to construct its ultra modern chemical industry in line with the Federal Government policy to boost the country’s industrial sector.
“The factory (with over 70 employees in its workforce) has been in operation since then until yesterday December 22, 2022.
“Curiously the giant manufacturing industry premises were pull down yesterday by your party’s erstwhile 2022 presidential aspirant (Barr. Uju Ken Ohanenye) with bulldozers and guided by the APC youths led by Mazi Ezinwa A.A, Enugu state chapter, who in their thousands were armed to the teeth protecting the bulldozers while the factory was going down the drain.
“It is disheartening to know that your erstwhile presidential aspirant Barr. Uju Ken Ohanenye, a lawyer could take this step when she is fully aware that matters relating to the dispute over this land are pending in the following courts:
“They are Court of Appeal sitting at Enugu in appeal No: CA/E/90/2021 between Dezern Nigeria Ltd and Kenju Investment Ltd & 2 ors; High Court sitting in Enugu in suit No: E/881/2021 between Dezern Nigeria Ltd & anor V Kenju Investment Ltd; suit No: E/3A/2021 between Dezern Nig Ltd V Uju Ken Ohanenye; suit No: E/52M/202/ between Legacy Paints Ltd V Uju Ken Ohanenye and in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, in suit No: FCT/HC/CV/2389/2021 between Dezern Nig Ltd V Uju Ken Ohanenye & Ors.
“It is also on record that this matter has been also before the Nigerian Police and the State Security Service (SSS).
“Can a presidential aspirant who is a party to a matter in court now turned around to use your youth wing to oppress the people the party is supposedly coming to govern?
“By the illegal demolition carried out by your presidential aspirant, the factory’s 70 employees workforce are now jobless. Is this part of the party’s policy. Please investigate.”
