..Flays Executive Rascality On Outspoken, Law-Abiding Citizens
As the Nigerian police, Imo State Command, arrested and arraigned a patriotic citizen of the state, Barr. Chinedu Agu, to court, on allegations of Cyberstalking, Defamation of Character and Inciting Civil Disobedience, Imo journalists, operating under the umbrella of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), had called on the police and judiciary to ensure that Agu’s trial is met with fairness and justice.
The media practitioners made the call for strict adherence to the rule of law, constitutionalism in the civil matter, through the NUJ Chairman and Secretary, Comrade Precious Nwadike and Comrade Austin Agwulonu, in a release they signed and made available to the media, on Thursday, in Owerri.
They flayed the state government for being rascal on law-abiding, peaceful and patriotic citizens who objectively and constructively criticise the ruling government, saying it is not a crime for Barr. Chinedu Agu, a sound and fearless lawyer, to ask the APC and the Shared Prosperity administration to use the huge resources of the state to work for the good of the people just as the PDP government in Enugu State does even with meagre allocations.
“The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Imo State Council, has been following with keen interest the arrest, detention of Barr. Chinedu Agu by the police and his subsequent arraignment before a magistrate court in Owerri, Imo State.
“Agu was detained on Tuesday during his second visit to the police, after about a week, he honoured a police invitation following allegations bordering on cyberstalking, defamation of character and inciting civil disobedience.
“According to the Imo State Police Command, “the arraignment was carried out in accordance with the rule of law and with due respect for his fundamental human rights”, they observed.
The journalists stressed that “the NUJ, Imo State Council, cherishes this statement credited to the police in Owerri and urges them, as well as the court to follow due process, the rule of law and constitutionalism in Agu’s case”.
They reminded the judiciary and the police to note that democracy and the constitution of Nigeria allow for freedom of speech and hence should do the needful and free Barr. Chinedu Agu without further delay, as justice delayed is justice denied.
“Whereas we cannot in anyway express any lack of confidence in the police or the judiciary, we however, are not unaware that Agu is facing trial on the account of exercising his fundamental human right of freedom of speech as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The legal practitioner returned from a Nigerian Bar Association, NBA’s annual convention in Enugu and did a travelogue in which he compared the Heartland City state of Imo and the Coal City state of Enugu; wherein he commended Governor Peter Mba of Enugu state for massive infrastructural development, but thumbed down Governor Hope Uzodimma for not doing much, even when Imo State collects billions of naira monthly from federal allocations and oil derivation funds.
“Rather than simply countering Agu’s claims point-by-point, with superior arguments, making public the report card of the Imo State Government in the past 5 years, the Commissioner of Information, Hon. Declan Emelumba and his crew, as always, would have created a non-existent association to petition the police against Agu on some cheap allegations for which Agu is now facing trial.
“It is therefore for the courts to determine Agu’s crime. Since when did it become a crime to demand to know how the resources of his state are appropriated?
“On the other hand, we equally want the police to note the questionable actions of some elements in Government and also learn to interrogate these bogus organizations set up to victimize outspoken members of the public who seek accountability and good governance.
“It is imperative to state here that most of the time, the architects of this intimidatory antics seem to merely invoke Governor Uzodimma’s name to intimidate perceived enemies.
“We therefore, call on the police and the court to circumspectly conduct the proceedings in Agu’s matter in order to establish the truth.
“The whole world is watching”, they maintained.
