By Laraba MUREY
Ahead of next year’s general polls, Igbo Progressive Front has slammed the Director General of Voice of Nigeria,VON, Osita Okechuku, to stop working against the South East presidency.
The group’s President, Njoku Mbamalu, in a statement, described his remarks against Governor Bala Mohammed’s comments as unfortunate.
“Where the opposition PDP have shown cohesion and direction, the ruling APC are playing catch up and fighting internal fires to appear electable.
“Osita sees daily how his own people are complaining bitterly about their treatment and marginalisation. Yet, he remains aloof and distant in engagement that would have doused tension and brought about remedy as Igbo youth were being brutalised and detained by the government, he is a part of.
“He has been and remains far removed in assisting to remedy the situation, because he is myopic in his self-interest.
“It is indeed comical that Osita Okechukwu a proud supporter of Buhari’s “97% and 5%” politics, a great defender of a nepotistic president, a cheer leader of a government that has reportedly used force against Igbo youth will have the temerity to make uncouth and gutter comments about Bala Mohammed, an acknowledged detribalised Nigerian, an inclusionist and champion of diversity, is wrong and below the belt.
“Therefore, with great astonishment and disbelief, we wonder why a pan national figure who authored the Doctrine of Necessity that made Dr Jonathan Acting President would be described as an ethnic irredentist or chauvinist.
“Bala Mohammed, a Fulani who stood up to support Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, an Ijaw man, at a time of recognized crisis in the nation, did his duty and spent his political capital as a matter of necessity in the interest of the nation. This was not the act of a chauvinistic tribalist.
“In fact, we have it on reliable authority that Osita was amiably assisted by Bala Mohammed, when the Governor was the Minister of FCT. In his time of desperate need, Osita with bowl in hand, was rendered audience and aid with every visit. Indeed, it is shocking that Mr Okechukwu should portray a man he has praised in private as wonderful and kind, as vile and despicable in public.
“The group admonished the VoN DG to peddle his frustrations at the doorsteps of the EFCC where he is facing criminal investigation and inside the Presidential Villa which has abandoned him to his miserable fate.
“No amount of grandstanding and vitriol aimed at a true progressive and patriot like Bala Mohammed will curry him favour.
“Clearly, Osita is being haunted by a tragic sense of underachievement and desperation borne of the accusations of his alleged case of conspiracy, abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds.
“His inability to mount a meaningful and viable defence shows his desperation and low handedness in search of a narrative that not only ingratiates him to his party and the president, he hopes it will also buy him absolution.
“Going spiritual, the group warned that there is a just reward for wickedness as well as Karmic judgment for the ungrateful and unappreciative dark soul, Osita’s vituperation against Governor Bala Mohammed are beyond political dispute or the holding of contrary opinion, they were mean, nasty, and desperate,” he said.
