Security operatives and some youths Wednesday foiled attempts by some hoodlums to stop ongoing peaceful protest in Owerri, the Imo state capital, against the removal of Governor Emeka Ihedioha by the Supreme Court.
The hoodlums, suspected to have sympathy for the All Progressives Congress (APC), had attempted to prevent the protesters who had converged at the ancestral ground of Owerri, Ugwu Ekwema on Egbu road, in the morning to continue with the protest against the removal of the former governor of Imo State.
The alleged hoodlums attempted to block the march of the Ihedioha supporters by setting up tyres as burn fires, but they were however overpowered by the protesting youths and security agents, who swoon into action and chased them away from the road to enable the protest continue unhindered.
The protesters, under the auspices of Imo Concerned Citizens (ICC), were led by Charles Oputa, popularly called Charley Boy. They demanded the restoration of Ihedioha as the governor of Imo state.
“Everyone here is angry at the removal of Ihedioha. What we are doing here is not about a person but for the good of Imo people. Our stupidity is enough and we must realise that we the people are the real government while office holders are our servants. But because of lack of understanding, we have them think they are in charge.
“We are here because of the progress of Imo, especially the youths who have people like me. The Supreme Court judges made a mistake and what we are doing here is to say there has been a miscarriage of justice. We are pleading with the justices that they should please reverse themselves on Imo”.
He lamented so much injustice in the country saying: “There is so much injustice in Nigeria. I know that part of government’s job is to protect citizens but what we see is systematic endemic injustice and we will stand together to fight it wherever we see it”.
The son of the late Supreme Court judge, late Justice Charles Oputa, said his late father always told him that wherever he sees injustice, he should ‘rise up and address it because if one does not, it will come back to fight you’, adding that his father also told him that the apex court can make mistake but that it should correct itself immediately.
Earlier, one of the leaders of the group, Engr Kingsley Onwubiko, said Imo people are angry at the apex court’s removal of Ihedioha, and described the former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives as: “Our liberator, a man who came and removed foolishness from our state. We beg the apex court to give us back the man Imo people voted for”.
