GO BACK TO EBONYI – THE HATE COMMENT THAT THREATENS LIVES: IF Anything Happens To Ikechukwu Kelvin Okorie Ikukufied Or Any Non-Indigene In Ikwuano/Umuahia, Promise Nwokecha And His Principal Obi Aguocha Must Be Held Accountable – By Mandate 27 Group 

GO BACK TO EBONYI – THE HATE COMMENT THAT THREATENS LIVES: IF Anything Happens To Ikechukwu Kelvin Okorie Ikukufied Or Any Non-Indigene In Ikwuano/Umuahia, Promise Nwokecha And His Principal Obi Aguocha Must Be Held Accountable – By Mandate 27 Group

INTRODUCTION: WHEN FAILURE WEARS THE MASK OF TRIBALISM

Few days ago, Mr Promise Nwokocha, acting on the instructions of his principal, Hon Obi Aguocha, made a discriminatory, clannish and tribal post directing Mr Ikechukwu Kelvin Okorie Ikukufied to leave Abia State and go back to Ebonyi State. His crime? Asking questions about the representation of Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency. Ikechukwu Kelvin Okorie Ikukufied lives in Abia, makes a legitimate living in Abia, pays taxes as an adult in Abia.

After the backlash, Promise Nwokocha quickly pulled down the post, forgetting that citizens had already screenshotted it. Deleting the post is too little, too late. You can delete a Facebook post, you cannot delete a constitutional violation. And you cannot delete what that post revealed: Obi Aguocha’s failure has started by discriminating against non-indigenes in a cosmopolitan Federal Constituency. Let us bring the 1999 Constitution to bare.

SECTION 41(1): EVERY CITIZEN IS ENTITLED TO RESIDE IN ANY PART OF NIGERIA – ABIA IS NOT OHUHU FAMILY COMPOUND

The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (5th Alteration as Amended) is clear. Section 41(1) says: “Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof, and no citizen of Nigeria shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry thereby or exit therefrom.”

This means an Ebonyi man has right to reside in Abia. The Hausa man has right to reside in Ikwuano. A Yoruba man has right to reside in Umuahia. No one, not Promise Nwokocha, not Obi Aguocha, can order a citizen to leave his state of residence because he questioned his Rep. Only a court can restrict movement and only when a person has committed or is reasonably suspected to have committed a criminal offence. Is asking where is N450m Afugiri Health Centre a criminal offence? Is asking where is two trailers of rice palliative a crime?

SECTION 42(1): NO CITIZEN SHALL BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST ON GROUNDS OF PLACE OF ORIGIN

Section 42(1) says: “A citizen of Nigeria of a particular community, ethnic group, place of origin, sex, religion or political opinion shall not, by reason only that he is such a person be subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin are not made subject.”

When you tell Ikechukwu Kelvin Okorie to go back to Ebonyi because he is from Ebonyi and asked questions, you have subjected him to a disability on grounds of place of origin. You did not tell Ohuhu indigenes who asked same questions to go back to their village. You singled him out because he is Ebonyi. That is direct discrimination prohibited by Section 42. That post alone is actionable in court.

SECTION 43: EVERY CITIZEN HAS RIGHT TO OWN IMMOVABLE PROPERTY ANYWHERE IN NIGERIA

Section 43 says every citizen has right to acquire and own immovable property anywhere in Nigeria. Ikechukwu Kelvin Okorie has business and owns property in Abia. The Constitution protects him. Promise Nwokocha and his principal cannot chase him away. Abia State is not Obi Aguocha’s personal estate. Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency is not Ohuhu annex. It belongs to Federal Republic.

SECTION 15(3): THE STATE SHALL ENCOURAGE FREE MOBILITY AND SECURE FULL RESIDENCE RIGHTS FOR EVERY CITIZEN

This is where Aguocha and his boys failed woefully. Section 15(3)(a) and (b) under Fundamental Objectives says: “For the purpose of promoting national integration, it shall be the duty of the State to provide adequate facilities for and encourage free mobility of people, goods and services throughout the Federation and secure full residence rights for every citizen in all parts of the Federation.”

As a Federal Legislator, Aguocha’s duty is to promote national integration and secure residence rights. Instead, he promotes disintegration. He encourages expulsion of non-indigenes. He secures fear for residents. A man whose constitutional duty is to encourage free mobility is now ordering free mobility to stop at Ebonyi border. That is constitutional somersault.

SECTION 39: RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION – QUESTIONING YOUR REP IS NOT A CRIME

Section 39(1) says every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas without interference. Ikechukwu Kelvin Okorie asking where is your scorecard, where is Afugiri Health Centre, is exercising Section 39. You cannot answer Section 39 with Section 41 violation – you cannot answer freedom of expression with expulsion. That is tyranny.

IKWUANO/UMUAHIA IS COSMOPOLITAN – YOUR HATE COMMENT IS A THREAT TO NATIONAL COHESION

Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency is cosmopolitan. Hausa live here, Yoruba live here, Tiv, Igala, Igbira, Efik, Ibibio, Ebonyi live here legitimately. They vote here. They pay levies here. They contribute to markets here. When you tell one non-indigene to leave, you have told all non-indigenes to leave. What will happen if Hausa community says since you say non-indigenes should leave, we will leave Ubakala market? What will happen if Yoruba leave? You are creating ethnic tension in a peaceful constituency because you cannot answer simple questions. That is why we say your failure has started.

YOU PULLED DOWN THE POST BUT THE SCREENSHOT LIVES – AND THE CONSEQUENCE LIVES

Promise Nwokocha pulled down the post after few days. But Nigerians screenshotted it. The internet does not forget. More importantly, the Constitution does not forget. Deleting evidence does not erase liability. Under Section 46, any person who alleges that any provision of Chapter IV has been violated can apply to High Court for redress. That screenshot is exhibit. That post is evidence of discrimination and threat to freedom of movement. Too little, too late.

A HATE COMMENT THAT CAN INCITE VIOLENCE – AND WE WILL HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE

This is no longer just about politics. When a media aide to a sitting Federal Rep publicly tells a resident to leave his state of residence because he questioned representation, he has put a target on that resident’s back. He has branded him an intruder. He has licensed street urchins to say “this Ebonyi man is disturbing our Ohuhu Rep, let us deal with him.” In Nigeria, this is how communal attacks start. One hate post, then mob action. We are putting it on record: This “go back to Ebonyi” comment is hate speech under Section 15(3) of the Constitution which prohibits discrimination on grounds of place of origin. It is capable of inciting ethnic hostility against Ebonyi people and all non-indigenes in Ikwuano/Umuahia.

THEREFORE, LET THE RECORD SHOW – SHOULD ANYTHING HAPPEN, PROMISE NWOKECHA MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE

We are formally warning and documenting: Should anything happen to Ikechukwu Kelvin Okorie Ikukufied – whether physical attack, threat to his business, threat to his family, damage to his property, harassment by state or non-state actors in Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency – Promise Nwokocha who issued the hate comment on instruction of Hon Obi Aguocha must be held accountable. Should anything happen to any Hausa, Yoruba, Tiv, Igala, Igbira, Efik, Ibibio, Ebonyi or any non-indigene living legitimately in Ikwuano/Umuahia who has dared to ask questions about N450m Afugiri Health Centre or two trailers of rice, Promise Nwokocha must be held accountable. We have screenshots. We have dates. We have witnesses who saw the post before he cowardly pulled it down. Deleting the post is too little, too late. The security agencies, Abia State Government, and Federal House of Representatives Committee on Ethics are hereby put on notice.

THE POLITICAL CONSEQUENCE: FAILURE HAS STARTED BY DISCRIMINATING AGAINST NON-INDIGENES

Obi Aguocha’s failure started the day he allowed his media boy to tell non-indigenes to leave Abia. Because in 2027, those non-indigenes will vote. Hausa voters in Ikwuano will remember you said they have no right to talk. Yoruba voters in Umuahia North will remember you said they are strangers. Ebonyi voters across Umuahia South and Ikwuano will remember you insulted their brother. Tiv, Igala, Efik, Ibibio will remember. You have turned your cosmopolitan constituency into a tribal camp and you expect them to vote for you? You have dug your grave.

CONCLUSION: ABIA IS FOR ALL NIGERIANS WHO LIVE IN IT LEGITIMATELY

Let it be known: Ikechukwu Kelvin Okorie Ikukufied is not going anywhere. He lives in Abia, pays tax in Abia, and has constitutional right under Section 41 to reside in Abia. He has right under Section 42 not to be discriminated against because he is from Ebonyi. He has right under Section 43 to own property in Abia. He has right under Section 39 to ask where is our rice, where is our health centre, where is our transformer.

Promise Nwokocha and Hon Obi Aguocha should apologize to non-indigenes living in Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency. Deleting the post is not apology. Apology is admitting you violated the Constitution. Until then, Ndi Ikwuano/Umuahia, both indigenes and non-indigenes, have seen who you are – a tribalistic, clannish Rep who cannot tolerate questions and whose only defense is “go back to Ebonyi.” Come 2027, both indigenes and non-indigenes will answer you with ballot: go back to your failure.