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Constituents and associates of Bright Ngene, the member representing Enugu South Urban I Constituency in the Enugu State House of Assembly, have appealed to President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Governor Peter Mbah to urgently intervene in his continued detention.
The appeal was made during a press conference held in Enugu yesterday.
Speaking at the briefing, C. J. S. Okereke described Ngene’s incarceration as a development that has denied the constituency effective democratic representation for nearly two years.
In a statement, the group urged Governor Mbah to personally intervene in the matter in the interest of justice and the rule of law.
“The constituents and concerned friends of Bright Ngene are appealing to the Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, to passionately intervene as a father, a lawyer and a respecter of the rule of law, and to facilitate justice in this case,” the statement read.
They described Ngene as a duly elected representative from what they termed a politically significant constituency and called on prominent political leaders from the area to show solidarity.
“Ngene was duly elected to represent Enugu South Urban I Constituency, the political enclave of leaders, such as former Governor of Old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo and former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, among other political and traditional leaders. We urge them to come together in the spirit of brotherhood,” they said. The group also appealed to national leaders, urging them to intervene in what they described as an injustice affecting both the lawmaker and his constituents.
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They specifically mentioned the President, Vice President, Kashim Shettima; Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun; the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi; the National Judicial Council; members of the National Assembly, as well as international bodies and human rights activists.
According to the group, Ngene’s continued incarceration has had serious implications for the constituency.
“The continued detention of Bright Ngene at the Enugu Correctional Centre for about two years amounts to a deprivation of democratic representation in the Enugu State House of Assembly and denies the constituency the dividends of democracy. It has also caused hardship and frustration for the constituents and his immediate family,” they said.
They also called on traditional rulers and religious leaders in Enugu State to wade into the matter.
Among those mentioned were the Chairman of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers; the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Calistus Onaga; the Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Prof. Samuel Ike; the Archbishop of the Methodist Church Nigeria, Enugu Archdiocese, Most Rev. Christopher Nweke Ede and the Director of the Adoration Ministry, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka.
They urged the clerics and traditional leaders to intervene and help resolve what they described as a troubling situation for the state.
