The
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the
National Human Rights Commission to restrain the leadership of the Youth
for Human Rights Protection and Transparency Initiative (YARPTI) from what it
called scandalizing and damaging of the credibility of the Speaker of the
Imo state House of Assembly.
It claimed
that YARPT had alleged that the Speaker, Mr. Benjamin Uwajumogu was corrupt and
implicated in cases of ritual killings.
HURIWA
dismissed the allegations as unfounded and lacking in concrete proof and urged
the petitioners to wait for a determination of any subsisting
investigations before concluding that the Speaker is corrupt and
implicated in cases of ritual killings.
The group
in a release signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko
and 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 Mr. Uwajumogu may likely be a victim of
political witch-hunt”, it said.
It stated that the underlying objective of the allegations was to deny 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.
It stated that the underlying objective of the allegations was to deny 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
said: “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”.
It called
for caution while waiting for the determination by a competent law enforcement
body and the judicial institution on the allegations. “As a human rights
platform we believe in the principle of rule of law and fair hearing”, the
group said.
It stated
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
connected with it.
“The
Speaker is a good and qualitative Nigerian to be made a minister under the
change mantra of the incoming All Progressives Congress – led federal
government. 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,” it
said.
www.dailytrust.com.ng
24 May 2015
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