Date Published: 04/23/10

Human Rights, Justice and Peace Foundation (HRJPF)

93, Market Road, First Floor (Back)

Aba, Abia State, Nigeria

www.hrjpf.org

Tel: 08035056312

PRESS RELEASE

Invasion of Ibori's home: Irresponsible and unwarranted

The Human Rights, Justice and Peace Foundation (HRJPF) condemns in strong terms the invasion in a manner most criminal of the Ogbara country home of the former Delta State Governor, Chief James Onanefi Ibori, by a combined team of Army, Air Force, Navy, State Security Services, Police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, April 20, 2010.

The invasion of Ibori’s house by security agents apparently acting on the order of the Acting President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan – a known political foe of the former Delta State Governor – despite a court order, is not only a flagrant disregard for the rule of law upon, which the Constitution of the 1999 Constitution of the Nigeria, which Dr. Jonathan swore to uphold is founded, but also irresponsible and unwarranted.

It is regrettable that, rather than dedicate his efforts towards reforming the flawed electoral system, addressing the problem of erratic power supply and mitigate the violent conflicts in the volatile oil rich Niger Delta region; Dr. Jonathan whose Acting Presidency is still in contention has resorted to witch-hunting of perceived political opponents who constitute obstacles to the realization of his rumoured 2010 presidential aspiration under the cloak of fighting against corruption.

While we are not averse to his aspiration to run for the highest political seat in black Africa, we consider as criminal, uncivilized and undemocratic the use of security agents by Dr. Jonathan for the subjugation of Chief Ibori – a man whose major sin is agitation for fiscal federalism in the unfortunate Nigerian union founded on gross injustice and oppression of the Niger Delta region, the hewers of wood and drawers of water for the contemporary Nigerian society.

Although we are firmly in support of the eradication of corruption from Nigeria, it is our studied opinion that Dr. Jonathan does not have the moral right and capacity to do so, as evidenced by the following:

i)              The money laundering charges hanging around the neck of his wife, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, is yet to be resolved;

ii)            He rode to power on the back of ailing President Umaru Musa Yar’adua through corruption of the electoral system, an election widely acclaimed to be the worst in the history of world; and

iii)           He emerged as Acting President through ‘Doctrine of Necessity’, instead of the due process of the law.

This has become imperative because he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. It is hypocritical for the Acting President Jonathan to be purportedly engaged in anti-graft war when in reality he is drenched in virtually all forms of corruption.

Following from above, we demand as follows:

i)              An unreserved apology from Dr. Jonathan to the Nigerian people for prosecuting a political war under the cloak of anti-corruption;

ii)            Rescind of the political order to arrest Chief Ibori dead or alive;

iii)           Set in motion the machinery for the convocation of a sovereign national conference to address the fundamental ills plaguing our country.

But if the Dr. Jonathan fails to meet the above demand, we shall make the country ungovernable for him through non-violent means.

Comrade Chidi Nwosu

President