Prof Philip Njemanze of the revered Njemanze Royal family of Owerri Nchi Ise, has once more cried out loud against what he described as “threats to his life and property belonging to him”.
In a press release dated 10th October 2017, the renowned human rights activist and academician recalled writing and intimating president Muhammadu Buhari, the entire Federal Executive Council, Governors, United Nations Secretary. General and other eminent persons at home and in diaspora of the continued violation of human rights in Imo State masterminded by Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha. He had also accused Rochas Okorocha of using the apparatus of Imo State government to engage in extra-judicial killings, wanton demolition of legally acquired and constructed houses, overtake of lands and property of the citizenry and communities in Owerri. In doing so and engaging in such untold, recklessness, the Imo State government he stated, had unrepentantly ignored subsisting court injunctions and judgments to demolish homes, and businesses, of people and in the process, killed in cold blood, several people at Ekeukwu Owerri market on the 28th August 2017.
“The Imo State government under the directives of Rochas Okorocha, employed hoodlums, civil defense operatives, Imo Security Network paramilitary personnel, army and police, who terrorized the citizens of Imo State living and trading in Owerri the state capital, shooting live on that, day and night” he stated.
Continuing, he said, “as Owerri people prepare to showcase to the world the wealth of our historic cultural heritage at our traditional “World Heritage” sites, there has been a relentless attempt by Rochas Okorocha to delete all traces of this great historic city of Owerri by illegally acquiring our communal and individual lands for himself, siblings and children”. He complained bitterly also that “Governor Rochas Okorocha instead of showing remorse for the lives of many innocent people lost in his illegal extra-judicial actions has now embarked on threatening me and willfully demolishing my properties because as a leading international human rights activist, I vehemently opposed his illegal actions. He forcefully seized my hospital premises under construction on Aba Owerri Road and converted it to his own personal filling station”.
As if that was not enough, according to Dr. Philip Njemanze, “today 10th October 2017 Okorocha had insensitively ordered a group of 100 hoodlums, Imo Security Network, paramilitary personnel and civil defence and police led by one Simeon Iwunze and demolished our family filling station situate at 40 Wetheral Road Owerri”. According to Njemanze, Okorocha’s unprovoked action is a total disregard to a subsisting High Court of Owerri, (HOW/430/2016) restraining injunction and the official permit granted by the Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA), for the development of the filling station.
“By his nefarious acts and impunities, Governor Okorocha has thus suspended the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended hence his resort to arbitrariness, despotic tendencies and tyranny”. Now threatened and completely afraid of his life and those of his Amawom Owerri relatives Prof. Philip Njemanze pleads with the President, Muhammadu Buhari, other concerned citizens and the international community to intervene, before Okorocha destroys what remains of our nascent democracy before it is too late”.
