By George Ozalla
The Special Adviser on Strategy and Communications to Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Godwin Anaughe, has challenged Hon. Francis Waive to provide evidence to support his claim that Omo-Agege asked him to withdraw or drop the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ovwian Bill to pave the way for the Federal Polytechnic, Orogun.
Anaughe, in a statement issued on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, said the position attributed to Waive did not align with the documented timeline surrounding the two projects.
He cited a document showing that former President Muhammadu Buhari approved the establishment of the Federal Polytechnic, Orogun, on February 23, 2021, while the FMC Ovwian Bill, according to him, had already passed its first reading in the House of Representatives on July 21, 2020.
He argued that the timeline raised questions about the claim that Omo-Agege asked Waive to abandon the FMC Bill in favour of the polytechnic.
Anaughe noted that the FMC Bill subsequently proceeded to second reading on November 16, 2021, while the committee reported back on September 29, 2022.
He therefore asked Waive to explain why Omo-Agege, who was then Deputy President of the Senate, would have sought to stop a House of Representatives bill in 2022 in favour of a polytechnic whose approval had already been granted in 2021.
The statement also questioned Omo-Agege’s institutional capacity to stop a bill on the floor of the House of Representatives, noting that Waive was a member of the House while Omo-Agege served in the Senate.
Anaughe further stated that during the Ninth National Assembly, Waive’s HB 989, which he identified as the FMC Ovwian Bill, never reached the Senate for concurrence.
He consequently challenged Waive to produce documentary or other evidence showing that Omo-Agege asked him to stop, delay or withdraw the bill.
According to him, such evidence could include a letter, official memorandum, committee record, correspondence, text message or witness statement.
Anaughe also rejected Waive’s claim that the earlier statement by Omo-Agege’s camp questioned his Christian faith, saying the issue raised was about the accuracy of his account of events.
He maintained that the burden of proving the alleged conversation rested with the person making the claim, rather than with Omo-Agege to prove that such a conversation did not take place.
The statement further accused Waive of attributing the failure of the FMC Ovwian Bill to political interference, rather than taking responsibility for what happened to the legislation during the Ninth Assembly.
Anaughe said Waive should acknowledge his account of the bill’s progress and provide evidence for his allegation against Omo-Agege.
He concluded by urging Waive to address the documentary record surrounding the FMC Ovwian Bill and the Federal Polytechnic, Orogun, rather than relying on what he described as an unsubstantiated account of a private conversation.
