…No petition from intersociety pending before EFCC against Obi
…linking Obi to Ezu river SARS killings in 2012-2013 is false labeling
… Says it’s committed to ballot revolution for Southeast presidency
The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has said that some serving and former Governors of the Southeast especially those that woefully lost their parties’ recent presidential primaries have united with malevolent political actors outside the Southeast to destabilize any chances of an Igboman emerging as president come 2023.
Intersociety said that such disgruntled people have also recruited some self-acclaimed splinter agitators and internet warriors to do their biddings at the overall expense of the people of the Southeast and their dignity and honour and to stop the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi from emerging victorious.
In a release signed by the Principal Officers of Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chinwe Umeche and Chidimma Udegbunam noted that such internet warriors are responsible for the resurgence of frivolous publications and out-of-date others on social media aimed at the misrepresentation of facts and politicization of same to portray certain respected persons in a bad light.
The group said that the most unfortunate and annoying of it all was linking them (Intersociety) with such publications in bad faith especially by making them look newly issued, adding that another worrying part of it was a clear misrepresentation of facts in connection with some happenings in the past targeted at the demonization of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi.
“The malicious publications, circumstantially speaking, strongly bear the trademarks of integrity challenged Igbo politicians working for their selfish aggrandizement or for integrity challenged political gladiators from outside the Southeast Region who pioneer the hateful and discriminatory policy of “born-to-rule” and “born-to-be-ruled.”
Intersociety said that contrary to the frivolous publication, it never had any petition against Peter Obi in Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and clarified that in 2009 during the first tenure of Peter Obi as Anambra Governor, he was accused of moving N250m to be laundered and Intersociety took the matter up and petitioned the EFCC and the Inspector General of Police; urging the duo to forensically investigate Obi and recommend appropriately if he was found involved. Intersociety said that it also launched its own investigation and in the end, it was discovered that it was a setup oiled by his political opponents who secretly placed some of his clerical aides under secret monthly Pay to monitor and wire every movement made by the Gov for malicious reasons.
The rights group also said that it was also found out that the N250m was meant for the physical cash purchase of dozens of fairly used vehicles for some top Government appointees that operated for years without official cars. “The vehicles were for ‘pay-on-delivery’ at Lagos. The EFCC and the Nigeria Police Force authorities, after their respective investigations, found the Gov not involved in ‘money laundry’ and the vehicles were later purchased, delivered and deployed.
“Since then, hired or paid agents have formed the habit of resurrecting the online version of the petition, especially before or during important electioneering. These, they do with the intent to misinform and mislead the public and denigrate the person and character of the respected former Anambra Gov (Peter Obi).
“They did it in 2010 during the first staggered Governorship Election in Anambra State and repeated the same in 2013 during Obiano’s first election; 2015 during the presidential election; 2017, during Obiano’s second election against Oselloka Obaze and others; 2019 during Buhari’s second election against Atiku/Obi and others; and it is being repeated following the conclusion of the Presidential Primaries and nearness of the all-important 2023 Presidential Poll.”
Intersociety also said that linking Obi to Ezu River police SARS killings that took place between 2012-2013 during his tenure is Stigmatization and false labeling, adding that the secret Police SARS killings and other unlawful killings by Police had continued from then till date.
The human rights group said that it must be placed on irrefutable record that they (and Anambra CLO to an extent) were the only human rights group that forensically investigated the Ezu River Police SARS killings and followed up and defended same to the office of the then DIG, Force Criminal Investigations, now retired DIG Peter Gana in April 2013.
“The killings were solely perpetrated by Police SARS under retired CSP James Nwafor and then CP Bala. The victims were detainees arrested and detained at Awkuzu, Nneni and Nnewi SARS detention facilities and among the slain victims were nine members of MASSOB and others, numbering about thirty, accused of perpetrating violent crimes.
“About fifteen of the slain detainees were bundled from Nnewi SARS dungeon, while others, including nine MASSOB members, were from Awkuzu and Nneni SARS detention facilities. It must also be pointed out that the Ezu River Police SARS killings were just one of such secret Police SARS killings that took place between 2012 and 2013.”
Intersociety said that those secret killings by Police SARS were not only those of the Ezu River discovered because of the unhidden location of the crime scene but also included others dumped at Omambala River and Awada and Onitsha cemeteries as well as Abba Forests by Onitsha-Awka Expressway, etc.
“Just like in the case of the N250m falsely labelled ‘laundered money or Obi’s stolen millions’, the politically hired or paid agents have also formed the habit of resurrecting on social media the Ezu River Police SARS killings following the nearness of 2023 Presidential Poll.
“This, they did in 2013 and repeated in 2015, 2017 and 2019 and it is being repeated following the conclusion of the Presidential Primaries and nearness of the all-important 2023 Presidential Poll.” Speaking further, Intersociety said that nothing will stop it from being more committed to ballot revolution and southeast presidency, adding that the ballot revolution and presidency of the Southeast extraction are far beyond what Peter Obi can handle as a person, and as such, the respected former Anambra Governor only symbolizes the priceless and sacrificial project; collectively seeking, among other things, for dignity and honour of the Igbo People in particular and other suppressed ethnic nationalities in general within Nigeria.
“That is to say that the “Obi Ballot Tsunami” is a renaissance or reawakening; a new wind of change that has hit the airwave of the Nigerian landscape and polity irrespective of cultural, ethnic, religious, gender and class divides. “In the immortal word of Deng Xiaoping, a famous Chinese leader and reformer: “it does not matter whether a cat is tall or short; fat or thin; black or white, so long as it catches a rat”.
“That is to say that ‘right to political freedom’ is the forefather of the right to self-determination. The right to self-determination is also not restricted to territorial self-governance just as territorial self-governance cannot do without political freedom, including political participation, inclusion and the right to vote or be voted for. “Right to self-determination embodies rights to group citizens’ ethnic identity or rights to be born, exist and identified; occupy a defined area or territory, develop and own means of livelihood, and actively and inclusively participate in the political affairs of their ancestral area and beyond.
“There must therefore be differentiated between those genuinely and sacrificially involved in agitation for self-determination and those faking or contracting or commercializing same. Threatening political rallies in the Southeast or beyond is an indirect threat to the proposed ‘referendum’ or ‘plebiscite’ under the UN System. “This is because where there is no credible electoral process or where it is not allowed, no credible and inclusive electoral referendum can take place.
It is a long-settled norm under the UN System that for a new nation or country to be born, there must be mandatory consent of the UN, the existing host political territory and a number of powerful or influential international actors. “The existing host political territory is mandatorily given demographic prerogatives including issuance and use of its territorially recognized or recognizable citizens’ biometrics such as Nigeria’s Permanent Voters’ Cards.
Without completion of these processes occasioned by peaceful or violent settlements, citizens of the agitating political territory may remain in the struggle for 1000 years without achieving statehood or regional self-governance.” Intersociety also called on splinter agitators to avoid confrontation with aggrieved proponents of ballot revolution, adding that what should occupy the minds and works of splinter agitators, if they are genuine and selfless, is to consolidate and constantly upgrade patterns and trends of their agitations including protecting their fellow citizens and nonviolent non-natives in their area.
“They must also work to protect their fellow natives residing outside their ancestral areas, especially in the forthcoming electioneering. Through strategic advocacy and voicing and other legitimate means, they can seek to protect their fellow citizens at risk in the hands of political thugs and politico-religious fanatics in Lagos State and Northern Nigeria especially those seeking to obtain their PVCs or voting candidates of their choice during elections. “Intersociety finally urges Southeast and other citizens to bear the stress and go out en masse to obtain their PVCs through voters’ registration or transfers or revalidation.
“The threatening splinter agitators are hereby advised not to run the risk of offensive confrontations with the aggrieved, impoverished, unemployed, under-employed, under-remunerated, suppressed and frustrated tens of millions of citizens queuing behind the forthcoming ballot revolution and actualization of the presidency of Southeast extraction.”
