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From Mokwugwo Solomon, Nnewi
South East Governors have been criticised by the Human Right Liberty Access and Defender’s (HURIDE) for their alleged failure to immortalise renowned human rights activist, Innocent Chukwuma, who died recently in Lagos.
The group, in a statement by its Executive Director, Dede Uzor, in Onitsha, Wednesday, said since the death of Chukwuma, who hailed from Imo State, no South East Governor, including Imo Governor Hope Uzodinma, has sent a condolence message to the family of the deceased, nor paid a condolence visit to the family.
This, the group said, was at variance with the response of the Yoruba political elite towards former Afenifere spokesman, Yinka Odumakin, ‘who thronged his home in droves, starting with the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, the South West governors and other political and economic leaders, apart from torrent of condolences poured to the immediate family.’
‘The South West governors took it upon themselves to give Odumakin a befitting burial and immortalised him by naming a street after him in his town, Ife, Osun State.
‘But for Chukwuma, he was left as an orphan. That shows the quality of political and economic class we have. It is unfortunate that no Igbo elite, except the former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, who visited the family. That is the tragedy of Igbo politics,’ the statement reads.
The group called on South East governors, especially Imo Governor Uzodinma, to give Chukwuma a befitting burial, as well as immortalise him by naming a street in Owerri, the state capital, after him.
