ENUGU—Enugu State Government,
Monday, dismissed as laughable and
mischievous, claims by the coalition of
human rights and pro-democracy
groups in the South-East zone that it was
behind the current travails of Comrade
Osmond Ugwu who was remanded in
prison custody by the state Magistrates
Court last week for attempted murder.
The government also dismissed as
uninformed and ill-thought, the threat
reportedly made by the group to “make
Enugu State ungovernable” if Ugwu was
not released from prison custody within
one week.
A release signed by Chukwudi Achife,
Chief Press Secretary to Governor
Sullivan Chime, said the tone of the
claims and threats made by the group as
published in a national daily, confirmed
its suspicions that the labour issues in
the state were being sponsored and
orchestrated by some disgruntled
elements trying to create a false
impression of crisis in Enugu State.
He said even the most uninformed
person would know that a criminal trial
was a matter totally within the domain
of the judiciary and that an order to
remand or release an accused person in
or from prison custody could only be
made by a court of competent
jurisdiction.
The human rights and pro-democracy
groups, including Save Nigeria Group
and Lawyers of Conscience, had on
Saturday given the state government a
week ultimatum to release the
incarcerated labour activists, Comrade
Osmond Ugwu and Raphael Elobuike, or
the state would be shut down by the
group and organized labour.
Coordinator of the group, Mr. Benedict
Ezeagu, at a press briefing in Enugu said:
“While the legal process is going on, we
have decided to give the Enugu State
Government one week ultimatum to
release Comrade Osmond Ugwu and
Raphael Elobuike unconditionally.”
No comments:
Post a Comment