HE DANGEROUS END-TIME CHILD...
A requiem 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 OKEJETNEWS, 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.

Well Charley boy did the right thing

It was rude for Charley Boy to angrily interrupt the governor in the midst of his speech, he should have given a speech later to correct any 'lies' by the governor even if it wasn't in the burial programme however, the state governor should not spout the 'my oppositon' did this line. Not every event has a political undertone.