Anambra #EndSARS Panel Becoming A Toothless Bulldog, If It Ever Was A Dog.

By Tai Emeka Obasi

In matters like a panel of inquiry into the brutality of the notorious SARS, I usually do everything to attend to hear things for myself. I hardly rely on reports, which are mostly distorted with sentiments.

But tried as I did to be present the first day Chief Bonaventure Mokwe presented his petition, other pressing engagements prevented me. I promised myself I’d be present at subsequent follow-ups.

But after listening to Mokwe’s interview at same venue after presentation of his petition, I concluded either the panel didn’t get their brief right or a script was already written, waiting for selected actors to fall into character. I completely lost interest and reckoned attending for further hearings would be waste of precious time.

Yes, waste of time after hearing Mokwe say HE Peter Obi gave James Nwafor the ‘latitude’ to brutalise and murder people at SARS.

Let’s get things straight…

1. The panel was set up for inquiry into Police brutality and extra-judicial killings.
2. Victims are welcome to send in their petitions.
3. Different departments of the Police Force should be there 24/7 to respond to the petitions whenever the panel indicated interest.
4. The matter of who gave orders should come from the perpetrators(the Police).
5. It is when the people who carried out the brutalities mention where they got orders from that the panel should now invite whoever gave orders for wrongful arrests/killings.
6. But bizarrely, Mokwe, a third party(he was never there when orders were given and never received any orders) told the panel that the then governor of the state was the one giving the orders and voom, the panel expressly invited the former governor for appearance. If this is not all about SCRIPTING and ACTING, I wonder whatever is.
7. I believed the first person to be invited should have been James Nwafor.

If there is any question to be asked, it should have been to present governor of the state, HE Willie Obiano, why it should be the same character of all people that he deemed fit to be his SSA on Security. The panel should ask further why Gov Obiano went as far as Ebonyi State to resurrect such a very notorious man already forced into early retirement to advise him on security matters in Anambra State. But maybe the panel is saving these very important questions for later.

The Panel should have called Mokwe to order the moment he started answering for James Nwafor by saying the notorious SARS officer got his orders from Obi. The panel should have told Mokwe to concentrate on the brutalities he faced and allow the panel to find out who issued the orders.

But they didn’t. And from that moment they seemingly lost public trust. Many saw the panel as being setup for political witch-hunt.

Just think about it that a panel that seemingly are eager to exceed their boundaries didn’t tell Mokwe to mention the name of the man who set him up so that they invite him too. No. They didn’t. They just heard the name Peter Obi and started calling shots. Funny!

And it is so unfortunate for the petitioner. Mokwe had almost 100% public sympathy. I was ready to support him 100% to get his long overdue compensation for his demolished hotel but NEVER for him to attempt tarnishing Okwute’s image in the course of it. That will not be accepted by those of us who know who that great man truly is and what he firmly stands for.

Take this home – Peter Obi as a private person, governor or president will NEVER knowingly order for wrongful demolition of anybody’s property, even that belonging to his known enemy. No matter the lies, propaganda and blackmail, this assertion will NEVER change.

We will watch the panel from afar and read Mokwe’s chronicles as they come.

Nobody learns how to be left-handed at old age. Okwute was already known as a principled man. When he became governor those firm principles never changed. Nobody can force that change or succeed in making his numerous followers believe otherwise about a man they had thoroughly scrutinized and found very worthy for good eight years while he was a public servant.

May Mokwe get his compensation in the end. But may he also fail woefully in the course of any attempt to damage the image of a man, who did everything as governor for the good interest of his dear state.

Casualty of man maybe rotational but conscience is the hardest punisher.