WHY I DO NOT SUPPORT #RELEASEODUDUUKPANAH CAMPAIGN I have remained silent to the #ReleaseOduduUkpanah campaign. To some this is strange due to my involvement in rights campaigns in the past. Ordinarily, I should have led the #ReleaseOduduUkpanah campaign in rank with the fast-talking human right activist, Inibehe Effiong, and the self-styled investigative journalist, Fejiro Oliver. The #ReleaseOduduUkpanah campaign has been painted as a wail against tyranny, dictactorship, injustice, and inhumanity in Akwa Ibom State. The #ReleaseOduduUkpanah campaigners have also suggested that it was Gov. Akpabio that killed Chief Ukpanah and arrested the son as culprit. What a warped and fallacious logic!? Indeed, Akpabio is a man of good heart otherwise under normal circumstances Inibehe and Fejiro should have been facing charges for unlawful labelling of Akpabio as murderer. On the other hand, Akpabios love for the person and family of Ukpanah seems to have restraint him from rightfully ordering the arrest and prosecution of the #ReleaseOduduUkpanah lead campaigners. Indeed, Inibehe Effiong, the self-acclaimed fearless convener of Coalition for Human Rights, should know, at least by virtue of training as law student, that no citizen whomsoever have the right to label another a murderer except a court of competent jurisdiction has declared it so. By implication, therefore, Inbehe lacks locus standi to declare or cause to declare, even in private, that Gov. Akpabio murdered Chief Ukpanah when a court of competent juriadiction in determination of appeal of finality has not so declared or cause him to declare. As long as the court has not declared that Gov. Akpabio is the convicted murderer of Chief Ukpanah, Inibehe Effiong or anyone for that matter, including the victim and sympathizers, has no right whatsoever to cast such a smear on the person of Gov. Akpabio. Even Jesus Christ, the greatest moral authority, in his sermon on the mount (Matt. 5:22) condemns, with the sanction of hell fire, the actions of the #ReleaseOduduUkpanah campaingners particularly on their malicious labelling of Gov. Akpabio as murderer. It is for this reason and because the #ReleaseOduduUkpanah campaign seemed designed to impign and impeach the glorious image of Gov. Akpabio or other political francise purpose rather than a cause towards human rights advocacy that true human rights advocates shun the #ReleaseOduduUkpanah campaign. Another reason I remain silent to #ReleaseOduduUkpanah campaign is that the campaign if it succeeds can encourage anarchism, gag courts and ultimately promote believe in jungle justice. Moreover, the #ReleaseOduduUkpanah campaign seems to serve as terror instrument designed to intimidate the court into procedural errors thereby undermining the course of justice. I believe that Odudu Ukpanah should be allowed to obtain vindication or otherwise through court processes rather than be made to believe in jungle justice. Already, the Odudu Ukpanah case is before a learned magistrate in Abak Judicial Division. The #ReleaseOduduUkpanah group should allow the magistrate to work towards determing the innocence or guilt of Odudu Ukpanah under free and fair atmosphere. The families of the Ukpanah should please accept my prophetic assurance that if Odudu is innocent hell be released.
Posted on: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 18:42:15 +0000