A coalition of civil societies groups under the aegis of Guardians of Democracy and Development, Partners for Legislative Agenda for Nigeria (PLAN), on friday formally submitted a petition to the Department of State Services (DSS), requesting for the investigation and prosecution of Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, over allegation of perjury and felony leveled against him.
Convener of the group, Solomon Adodo, who addressed newsmen after submitting the petition directly to the DSS Director General at the headquarters of the secret police in Abuja, argued that Omo-Agege’s continued stay in the Senate has resulted in the denigration of the image and esteem of the upper chambers before the international body of legislators.
Accompanied by dozens of youth groups, Adodo, insisted that Omo-Agege cannot confidently and freely lead a team of legislators to Capitol Hill for any meeting with the United States Senate, owing to the weight of conviction against him in the United States of America.
The group brandished placards with inscriptions such as “Senator Oviie Omo Agege should be prosecuted”, “Sen Omo Agege has misled INEC for concealing conviction information from them”, “Don’t destroy our senate with ex-convict, join us now to save our senate from forgers of documents”, “DSS act now, the good people of Nigeria must rise to save our senate from Omo Agege.
In the petition directed to ;the DGSS, the coalition group noted: “The Coalition of Civil Societies hereby urge you to investigate this matter, and possibly facilitate the prosecution of the senator, if found to have committed perjury on his way to the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The group further claimed that Omo-Agege concealed incriminating information against him from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to participate in the general elections contrary to constitutional provisions that produced him as Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, thereby paving the way for his emergence as Deputy President of the Senate.
Recall that last week Omo-Agege who described the rights group as a band of sponsored group bent on tarnishing his reputation denied allegations of wrongdoing.
However, the group claimed that information at its disposal indicate that: “In 1998, Augustine Ovie Omo-agege was suspended from the practice of law with probation for three years by the Supreme Court of the State of California having been convicted for forgery of cheques on March 7, 1992 in violation of Penal Code section 470.
“Offence of serial perjury in the application for Driver’s License in violation of Penal Code 118, in1993. On March 7, 1993 in the county of Los Angeles, Omo-Agege committed the crime of perjury-Application for driver’s licence in violation of Penal code 118, a felony where he lied that he never applied for California Driver’s Licence or Identification Card when in fact he had applied and had been issued under the name Augustine Omo-Agege.
“Also, on March 7, 1993 in the county of Los Angeles, he again violated penal code 118 when he lied that he has never applied for Driver’s Licence or Identification Card, and was issued another licence this time in the name, Reginald C. Bedney.
“On the the same March, 7, 1993 in violation of the same penal code 118, he again lied that he has not applied for Driver’s Licence or Identification Card and was issued yet another licence with the name Ronald Byrd.
“On November 30, 1995 after a plea of nolo contendre, the imposition of sentence was suspended and the Senator was ordered to spend some days in jail and also to pay restitution in the sum of $200.
“On or about July 31, 1999, he was issued with Identification Card no. A7453982 in his own name by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. He used as his date of birth, August 3, 1963.
“Also, on January 8, 1991, he was issued with Driver’s licence no. A7453982 in his name by the same department, with the same August 3, 1963.
“But on December 10,1992, he under penalty of perjury listed his birthday in his application form for an Identification Card as January 20, 1964 and his name as Ronald Shawn Byrd. On that application, he misrepresented that he had been issued Driver’s Licence no. C73621976934432169 in the state of New York.
“He also stated that he had never been issued Driver’s Licence or Identification Card under a different name which turned out to be a lie.
“On December 29, 1992, he applied again for an identification card under a fake name, Kirk Derwin Johnson with another fake date of birth, December 16, 1965. In the application, he lied that he had been issued Driver’s Licence no. C783552168384419 in the state of New York.
“He lied further that he had never been issued a Driver’s Licence or Identification Card under a different name in the last 7 years. And he was subsequently issued an Identification Card no. A9479639 on December 29, 1992 under the fake name, Kirk Derwin Johnson. On March 13, 1993, the said card was reissued by the same office under the same name.
“On January 7, 1993, he committed another perjury when he applied for Identification Card under another fake name, Reginald Clark Bedney and a fake date of birth, May 10, 1965. He misrepresented that he had been issued a Driver’s Licence no. C9768216355315621 in the state of New York.
“Following his falsehood that he has never been issued a Driver’s Licence or Identification Card under a different name in the last 7 years he was issued Identification Card no. B3863879 under the fake name Reginald Clark Bedney on January 7, 1993.
“It is worthy of note that prior to his suspension, Senator Omo-Agege has incidences of indiscipline: dishonesty, concealment, overreacting. It was also recorded on his behalf that the Senator was associated with multiple misconduct.
“Furthermore, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege willfully concealed the fact of the said conviction from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigerian Senate thereby contravening the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and the Rules of the Senate.
“By the same concealment, especially in his INEC Form(s) which are usually sealed with an Affidavit, Senator Omo-Agege committed another crime of perjury here in Nigeria.
“Incontrovertible documentary evidence available to us reveal that sometime in April 22, 1996, Augustine O. Omo-Agege who is one and the same Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege was ordered to be suspended from the practice of Law following his conviction for violating California Penal Code section 470, a felony involving moral turpitude, under the authority of subdivision (a) of rule 951, California Rules of Court,” the petition read.
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