Arequiem mass organised for the late Socrates of
the Supreme Court, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa at
his country home in Oguta Local Government Area
of Imo State was disrupted yesterday, when the
first son of the former erudite judge, Charles Oputa,
a.k.a Charley Boy prevented Governor Rochas
Okorocha from paying tribute to his father.
Eye witnesses said that the mass which was
conducted by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto
Diocese, Rt Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah at the
Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Oguta, went on
smoothly until Okorocha was permitted by the
Bishop to pay his tribute to the fallen judge.
However, Chief Okorocha, was stopped midway into
his speech, by Charley Boy who was visibly
infruiated with Kukah for granting the governor the
permission to speak. He walked up angrily to the
altar and snatched the micro-phone from the
governor, to the embarrassment of all the
dignitaries present. It was a disgrace to the
governor.
Among eminent Nigerians present at the church
service included representative of President
Goodluck Jonathan, the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius
Anyim, Governors Willie Obiano (Anambra),
Theodore Orji (Abia); the Deputy Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha
and former governors of Anambra State, Senator
Chris Ngige and Mr Peter Obi respectively.
Also present, were the former governor of Imo
State, Ikedi Ohakim,, Senator Uche Chukwumerije
and the Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu, the
state Police Commsiioner, Almajid Ali and the
Divisional Police Officer, DPO, for Oguta,
Ikembuchukwu Abugu.
The intervention of Bishop Kukah could not
assuage Charly Boy’s anger as he insisted that no
politician would take advantage of his father’s
burial to score “cheap political” goals. He insisted
that the Governor should not speak at the event.
However, obviously embarrassed by Charley Boy’s
action, the Governor and members his entourage
hurriedly left the church service mid -way, despite
entreaties from the officiating Bishop Kuka for them
to stay on.
It was gathered that Charly Boy’s action followed a
recent statement by Government House, Owerri, to
the effect that the Oputa family was given N20
million to assist it in the burial arrangements.
Sources told Saturday Vanguard, however, that
“the family never received a dime from either
Okorocha or the state government, not to talk of
the alleged N20 million said to have been made
available to them,’’ as reported by a section of the
media.
Earlier in his sermon, Bishop who lauded the
virtues of Justice Oputa, stressed that “to tolerate a
son like Charley Boy by a man of late Justice
Oputa’s reputation, is a measure of the greatness
of the man.”
He called on Nigerians to stand up in defence of
justice and equity, adding that late Oputa had
serious liking for the concept of justice and equity
during his life time.
”Oputa before he died, was worried about the
quality of Nigerian lawyers and judges because he
believed in the judiciary as the last hope of the
nation. Today, his legacies are beyond his
immediate family,” Bishop Kuka said
Meanwhile, the state government has described the
incident that played out at Sacred Heart Catholic
Church, Oguta, as “ugly and regrettable.”
According to a statement by the Seniour Special
Assistant, SSA, Media, to Governor Okorocha, Mr
Sam Onwuemodo, “It is highly regrettable that the
son of the late Justice, Mr Charles Emeka Oputa,
aka, Charly Boy, threw caution to the wind and
turned the church service into a political theatre
that saw him acting or playing out the script he
drafted in Abuja with some Imo politicians, who
have remained cowed by the overwhelming
popularity of Governor Rochas Okorocha.”
Onwuemeodo insisted that the state government
made “substantial financial input and also
organized a special day of tributes for the late
Justice Oputa at the expense of state government
with Charly Boy also present with other members
of the family.
”We condemn that ugly incident and also wish to
advise politicians from the state to stop heating up
the polity over power since God is the giver of
power. In 2015, God will decide who will be
governor of Imo State and when God decides that,
there is nothing anybody can do about it.” He did
not make to reference to the N20m said to have
been given to the family

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/06/n20m-controversy-charly-boy-disgraces-okorocha-oputas-burial/