Sincerely speaking, I hold no personal grudge against Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu state, but I unapologetically belong to the league of those who are of the view that Chime’s dirty past, messy deals and wicked practices are largely responsible for the truckloads, basket-full and lorry-loads of challenges competing for his soul at present. At the risk of passing judgment on him, Chime needs urgent help, certainly not from his cult group sha, but God.
Aside battling with his failing health, Chime is currently enmeshed in a sex scandal involving his wife’s younger sister whom the randy governor has since impregnated. At the moment, his wife and First Lady of Enugu state, Clara Chime, who has cried out to rights groips for help has been under house arrest for several months now. Aside that, Chime, under the watchful eyes of his detained wife, Clara, still imports young university girls to take care of his untamed libidinal prowess. This is the sad story of a man on whose frail shoulders rest the collective destinies of indigenes of Enugu state.
I still recall with deep seated grief when in October 2007 Governor Chime barefacedly threw decorum and respect for human lives to the dogs and directed his overzealous aides/thugs to rain live bullets on innocent, peaceful and law-abiding undergraduates of Kogi State University, Anyigba. The students, numbering about 50 were that faithful morning holding a peaceful protest to draw government’s attention to the increasing number of students who were daily knocked down by reckless drivers plying the Anyigba-Ankpa-Enugu road. Regrettably, instead of getting reprieve or pat on the back being civil, sorrow, tears and blood became the song on their lips as two of the protesting students (Mohammad Meyanga and another undergrad whom I can’t recall his name now) couldn’t survive gun shoot wounds they both sustained. This is not a tale. It happened before my very eyes. The question is, what was Governor or Emperor Chime’s reaction? Your guess is as good as mine. He silenced his conscience and hurriedly drove off, leaving the undergrads to bury their dead colleagues. Expectedly, the students’ took to the streets to protest the gruesome killing of their colleagues. It took the intervention of the paramount ruler of Anyigba Community, the host community of the University, Ogohi of Anyigba to calm the students. To forestall possible breakdown of law and order, the institution was closed indefinitely.
As usual, our then barely literate governor or ‘Governor No Problem’ as fondly called, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, promised to investigate the gruesome act perpetrated by his fellow governor. As you read through these lines, this is 6 years after, no arrest, no report and nothing tangible has been done to get justice for these youngstars murdered in their prime.
The little I know about Mohammed Meyanga, who until his death was a year three Banking and Finance undergrad in KSU, was the first child and the hope of his widow-mother. Those very close to the family said Mohammad was all the poor widow had on earth, so she did her best to ensure that he got a university education. Sadly, her dream of seeing her son ceremoniously bade farewell to KSU Campus upon graduation was aborted by Emperor Chime and his bandits who masqueraded as security guards.
This is one case I expect well meaning rights activists to take up and ensure that Emperor Chime and his thugs are made to face the consequences of their actions. This is a big challenge to all qualified, sound and competent law graduates from Kogi State University, Anyigba. Chime must not be allowed to go scot free. You guys should institute legal action against him and his thugs.
I wish to equally call on the Captain Idris Wada led government to revisit this issue. An injury to one is injury to all. I understand late Mohammad Meyanga was an indigene of Egume, an ancient town in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi state.
Let me also call on all human rights bodies and personalities within and outside the shores of Nigeria to pick immense interest in this act of wickedness. Those involved in this callous and dastardly act must be brought to book. Enough of the reign of brigands and bandits. Already, justice has been delayed, but we must all make sure that justice is not denied. Since they mindlessly murdered sleep, all men and women of goodwill and conscience must equally ensure that they don’t sleep as well.
Well, some have argued that governor Chime enjoys constitutional immunity which forbids him from being dragged to court, let us begin with his overzealous security who I believe don’t enjoy no immunity. This is the way to go about getting justice for the dead and their respective families.
I equally expect the Professor Anslem Chidi Odinkalu led National Human Rights Commission’s Board to be very much interested in this dastardly act. The media, civil society groups, faith-based and the almost comatose and complacent National Association of Nigerian Students to rally support for the families of the deceased students. We must put a final stop to increasing official rascality, brigandage recklessness. It beats ones imagination realising the fact that the same government whose responsibility it is to guarantee the safety of lives and property of its citizens also constitute huge threat to people it is supposed to protect.
We are calling on the Federal government, since the Kogi state government appears handicapped and unperturbed, to urgently set up an independent panel of inquiry to investigate the issue. Some of us who were live witnesses to the callous act are very much alive and are ever ready and willing to offer oral and documentary evidences should this call is heeded to.
Chime, while you are still battling with your self-inflicted problems, it is wise you retrace your steps to families you’ve offended, directly or indirectly and plead for forgiveness. It is possible for you still employ the same power you still wield to dry the cascading and endless tears on the face of Mohammad Meyanga’s poor mother and other families you’ve visited mindless terror on. Emperor Sullivan Chime, The clock is ticking.