A pro-democracy Non-Governmental organization – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS
ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has dismissed as substantially speculative and
unsubstantiated, allegations bandied by a civil society group against the
speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly Mr. Benjamin Uwajumogu.
Specifically, a group by the name The Youth for Human Rights Protection
and Transparency Initiative (YARPTI) based on a complaint by an Owerri based
activist and blogger Mr. Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha has reportedly petitioned the
President elect General Muhammadu Buhari(GCFR) urging him not to consider the
outgoing speaker of the Imo State parliament Mr. Benjamin Uwajumogu for a
ministerial appointment because of allegations of widespread corruption and
involvement in ritual killings.
HURIWA said whilst it acknowledged that allegations of fraud and the
weighty matter of ritual killings merits thoroughbred forensic crime
investigations, it does also believe in the constitutional imperative that mere
allegations not evidential and concretely established by a competent judicial
forum remains just within the realm of conjectures and speculations and this is
not sufficiently weighty to deny a person any national assignment by the
Nigerian state which is usually made based of merit, competence and
professional excellence.
But in a statement after a painstaking investigation conducted by a four
member team that visited parts of Imo State, the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS
ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) dismissed those allegations as unfounded and
lacking in concrete body of proofs even as it has urged the National Human
Rights Commission to step into the matter and institutionally restrain the
leadership of the Youth for human rights protection and transparency Initiative
(YARPTI) from further scandalizing and damaging the credibility of the person
of the speaker of the Imo state House of Assembly Mr. Benjamin Uwajumogu
through the circulation of stories on the internet that lacks evidential
authentication. HURIWA urged the petitioners to wait for a determination of any
subsisting investigations if any before jumping into hasty conclusions that Mr.
Uwajumogu is allegedly corrupt and implicated in cases of ritual killings.
The National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko who signed the media
release alongside the National Director of media Affairs Miss Zainab Yusuf
disclosed that from extensive investigation within the various security and
judiciary institutions in Imo State, there emerged a clearer picture of the
fact that the person of the Imo State speaker Mr. Benjamin Uwajumogu may likely
be a victim of political witch hunt and choreographed blackmail with the
underlying objective of denying him a possible ministerial slot should the
incoming Nigerian President General Muhammadu Buhari decides to appoint him to
represent Imo State in the next executive council of the federation. HURIWA
also stated that an unproven allegation does not constitute a criminal
conviction which can then be used as a valid reason to deny the indicted person
of higher national office.
“The police authority in Imo State told us in black and white that there
is no shred of evidence to support the sensational claims that the Imo State
speaker is corrupt or is remotely connected to any established case of ritual
killings in Imo State. We call for caution whilst we wait for the determination
by a competent law enforcement body and the judicial institution of the
allegations of fraud and/or involvement in ritual killings. As a human rights
platform we believe in the principle of Rule of Law and Fair Hearing even as we
are opposed to media trial of even the most high profile politically exposed
persons. We believe that all Nigerian citizens irrespective of their status or
class must enjoy all the fundamental rights enshrined in chapter four of the
constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999 (as amended ) and must
not be unduly and unjustly demonised just because we do not like his face or
his phenomenal rise to political positions. We must back our allegations with
unassailable body of facts and figures so we are not seen as persons waging a
political war of vendetta or blackmail".
The Rights group also praised the outgoing Imo State speaker for particularly championing the passage of many pro-poor legislations that fundamentally addresses major human Rights challenges confronting the good people of Imo State. HURIWA further called on the next legislature in Imo State to advance the respect of human rights of all citizens through people centred legislations.
The Rights group also praised the outgoing Imo State speaker for particularly championing the passage of many pro-poor legislations that fundamentally addresses major human Rights challenges confronting the good people of Imo State. HURIWA further called on the next legislature in Imo State to advance the respect of human rights of all citizens through people centred legislations.
HURIWA stated thus: “We are aware that the leader of the Imo State
legislature actively supported the effort which culminated in the passage of
the bill known as a law to prohibit baby racketeering through baby factory
operations and every other arrangement by which babies are illegally transacted
on, and other matters connected therewith”.
HURIWA has therefore appealed to genuine civil society practitioners to
desist from allowing themselves to be contracted to do the biddings of
political adversaries aimed at tarnishing the public Image of high profile
politically exposed persons. HURIWA however charged committed activists not to
feel threatened to play the altruistic role of unbiased whistle blowers for
public good.
On the vote of confidence it passed on the Imo State speaker as a good
and qualitative Nigerian to be made a minister under the change mantra of the
incoming All Progressives Congress – led federal government, the Rights group
stressed that Imo State witnessed rancor - free legislature/executive relationship
in the last four years even as the state legislature never capitulated to the
level of operating as puppets of the Imo State governor.
HURIWA recalled that the speaker of Imo legislature had severally denied
these allegations and stated thus: “If we may ask, how much is the monthly
subvention of the Imo State House of Assembly State to accommodate these
claims. On what basis will the Speaker of a House of Assembly be responsible
for award of Road contracts, much less the Chief of Staff to the Speaker.”
“The office of the Rt Hon. Speaker wishes to inform Imolites that the Rt Hon. Speaker, Rt Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu does not own any inch of land in Abuja or Lagos either in his name or by proxy as at 12th of March 2014 and is not negotiating to own any land in these places, the Rt Hon. Speaker remains in the Vanguard of those urging Imolites to invest here in Imo State.
“The office of the Rt Hon. Speaker wishes to inform Imolites that the Rt Hon. Speaker, Rt Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu does not own any inch of land in Abuja or Lagos either in his name or by proxy as at 12th of March 2014 and is not negotiating to own any land in these places, the Rt Hon. Speaker remains in the Vanguard of those urging Imolites to invest here in Imo State.
We challenge anybody to bring evidence to the contrary.” HURIWA
therefore said that until an independent body brings to a finality the determination
of these range of allegations against the person of the Imo State Speaker he
remains completely innocent in the eyes of the Nigerian Law and should be
allowed to enjoy all privileges, Rights and duties /Responsibilities that his
political party (APC) may be predisposed to assign him in the next political
dispensation from May 29th 2015.
22 May 2015
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