INCACERATION OF COMRADE OSMOND UGWU BY GOVERNMENT AGENTS IN ENUGU STATE

The Enugu Misnomer 03/11/2011

ANAMBRA CLO CONDEMNS THE CONTINUED INCACERATION OF COMRADE OSMOND UGWU BY GOVERNMENT AGENTS IN ENUGU STATE , CALLS FOR HIS UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE AND REINSTANTEMENT INTO THE STATE CIVIL SERVICE.

What could pass as the reenactment of the days of the jackals, the jack boots of the military and another anachronistic stunt for Nigeria ’s democracy happened recently in Enugu , the coal city state of Nigeria

Comrade Osmond Ugwu, the Enugu State Chairman of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) and frontline Labor Activist was remanded in prison custody on spurious allegations of attempted murder and felony.

Osmond was arraigned before a Chief Magistrate court in Enugu and slammed with two count charges of conspiracy to commit felony and attempted murder. The Prosecuting Police Inspector, Felix Okafor alleged that the offences were committed on October 24.

According to Okafor, the offences were punishable under section 494 of the Criminal Code Cap 30 Vol. ii laws of Enugu state of Nigeria 2004 and section 275 (a) of the Criminal Code, cap 30 volume (ii) laws of Enugu State of Nigeria .

The accused was not allowed to take any plea for lack of jurisdiction and consequently remanded in prison custody pending the directive from the State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) or the Attorney General of the State.

We view the clampdown on Osmond as the highest height of government rascality and desperation on the part of Enugu State Government to silence the voice of reason. Incarceration of Osmond was calculated attempts to not only silence him but to depress his spirit on his unrelenting quest to ensure better living conditions for workers in Enugu State .

Ugwu’s fate is not unconnected to his running battle with the State government since the time the incumbent government recalled workers of the State disengaged during the era of Chimaroke Nnamani.

Osmond has relentlessly agitated that the accruing welfare benefits of the workers and their entitlement from the period of disengagement should be paid in full by the government. The government on its part never liked his never-say-die spirit hence they resorted to all manner of antics to cajole him to drop his struggles and join the bandwagon.

Osmond Ugwu has suffered monumental losses, physical, psychological and financial since his quest for justice for the workers.

There have been attempts on his life too by unknown people but his strong faith in God and commitments to the things of salvation at Fr. Mbaka’s Adoration Ministries, Enugu where he is volunteer worker have always seen him through.

At a time, the government in order to frustrate him suddenly transferred him to Enugu State liaison office in Lagos without a clear cut description of his assigned duties, provision for accommodation or feeding. He was packaged to remain in Lagos to become irrelevant and redundant and the situation remained that way until recently when his civil service appointment was abruptly terminated and plans were allegedly conceived for his total incarceration.

We condemn in its entirety this form of ill-treatment and human right abuses meted out to a responsible citizen of Nigeria .

We also call for the unconditional release of Osmond and Elobuike Raphael from custody and their immediate reinstatement into the civil service.

Governments all over the world are meant to cater for the welfare of the people and to seek the ultimate benefit of the greatest number of the people.

The resort to military and dictatorial tendencies in tackling disagreements between the government and the workers is simply an invitation to anarchy. The recent denial by Enugu State government that the government has no hand in Ugwu’s ordeal can be likened to somebody claiming not to eat a rat but uses his teeth to share the same rat for others to eat .

We advise the government of Enugu State and it’s agents to learn from history. History and posterity has never been kind to oppressors and those who used government machinery to suppress the voice of opposition, reason and constructive criticisms.

“No condition is permanent”, the table can turn tomorrow only for the “rich” and “powerful” to begin to cry while the oppressed takes over the reigns of power.

We urge the government to open up its doors for dialogue and meaningful engagements and discontinue without further delay, any from of suppression or human rights abuses of its citizens.



Signed for the CLO Comrade Justus Ijeoma

Comrade Aloysius Attah Sec. Anambra State Branch



Chairman, Anambra State Brach