techboy:

My attention was drawn to recent newspaper publications of a letter reportedly written by Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, to His Excellency, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, the Governor Imo State. My first action was, however, to investigate the authenticity of the said letter before making any reaction. Although one cannot say with certainty whether or not the governor has received the letter, Keyamo has since owned up to the authorship of the letter which he has circulated both locally and in the internet
To have deliberately circulated a letter meant for a personality like that of a state governor in the internet and in the entire global media means that Mr. Keyamo’s interest in the matter goes beyond that of protecting one Mr. Ikenna Samuelson who, he, Keyamo, claimed was physically assaulted by Chief Ikedi Ohakim on Thursday January 21, 2010. I repeat, only a fellow who is out to do a hatchet job or acting out a script written by others could resort to that type of approach.
I do not know in which capacity Mr. Keyamo is handling Samuelson’s matter: As a lawyer or a newspaper columnist? I ask this question because Mr. Keyamo has the reputation of abusing the privilege he has as a newspaper columnist by using his column to tackle opponents of his clients. Quite often, this fellow, who claims to be a radical lawyer, has used his column to pass judgment on cases still in court. I am certain many Nigerians have wondered why Mr. Keyamo seems immune to the doctrine of subjudice.
If Mr. Keyamo is handling the matter as a lawyer, then he is at it again. For, even the least discerning fellow would see from the content of his letter that he has already passed a judgment of condemnation on the governor. I reproduce here part of the opening paragraph of Keyamo’s letter now circulating the whole world: "I write this letter to you in reaction to the wailings and lamentations of one Mr. Ikenna Samuelson who got in touch with me in respect of the physical assault you unleashed on him on Thursday, January 21, 2010. I know it is so convenient for politicians like you to quickly point to "political enemies" when you are publicly engaged on thorny issues. But you cannot bathe with petrol and stay close to fire when your enemies are around. In other words, you have a duty to act decently and in tandem with the laws of the land so as not to arm your political opponents …"
From the above, does it not follow, quite clearly, that Mr. Keyamo has found Chief Ikedi Ohakim guilty even before hearing from him? Witness his phrase: "… you also have a duly to act … in tandem with the laws of the land …" I ask: Which law now? Which law has Chief Ohakim acted contrary to? Why talk about "the laws" when the matter is not yet on trial? Besides, we are aware that on the incident in question, aides of the governor issued statements to the effect that no such thing took place and that the governor was not in even in Owerri at the time and date the incident was said to have taken place.
True or false, the point to note hear is that no where in Keyamo’s letter did he make mention of the explanation by the governor’s aides. Which means that he believes hook, line and sinker what he was told by his clients, and is not ready to concede anything even if there is evidence to the contrary. Mr Keyamo describes himself as having a "well-acknowledged passion for human rights activism …"
I ask: Doesn’t Chief Ikedi Ohakim also deserve the right to be heard before he is condemned? For the avoidance of doubt, let me state quickly that I am not soliciting for Keyamo’s sympathy or asking him to soften because he does not have the capacity to hurt our governor.
Then take the other scenario: If Festus Keyamo, though not a journalist by training, is indulging in the pervasive media trial that has bedeviled our land, I answer: Then there is a big problem for the image of the media which the likes of Keyamo are using to breach the ethnics of his primary constituency, Law.
How did I know? In Mr. Keyamo’s letter, he quoted Mr. Samuelson copiously, giving a minute-by-minute graphic detail of his encounter with the governor. I am appalled to hear or read that Samuelson could recall such details and even quote the governor’s utterances, verbatim, even when, as claimed by Samuelson, he was almost giving up the ghost on account of the beating he was receiving from the governor. Reproduced here is what Keyamo quoted Samuelson as saying: "… Ikedi flogged, flogged and flogged me ruthlessly heartlessly and without mercy. He kicked me severally without mercy … I must have received well over 120 strikes of Koboko … I saw hell with my two eyes. Almighty God did not allow me to die …"
Now this: How was somebody in such a physical, mental and psychological state still able to recollect what happened so vividly that he was able to quote exactly what came out from the governor? I make bold to say that only those with a mindset can swallow hook, line and sinker what Samuelson said. For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to state that the purpose of making this article is not to act as Chief Ohakim’s public relations handlers. I merely want to point out the misadventure in yet another attempt by Mr. Keyamo to relish in stardom out of nothing.
I have made a thorough investigation and I have it on good authority that no such thing happened. Therefore, I wish to make it abundantly clear to Kayamo that Imo, the Heart of Igboland, will not offer him another opportunity to shine out of nothing. There is an abundance of cases in his native Edo State that can take him to the type of stardom he is looking for. My state is not lacking in bright chaps like Keyamo whom we could unleash on him but we would not because as Ndi Igbo, we do not believe in being too much in a hurry to get to stardom. We believe in hard work and good will earned over a period of time.
•Mr. Nwachukwu, a public commentator, lives in Owerri, Imo State capital


Nmesis would soon catch up with you and your sponsorer thiefs

texazzpete:

And you registered today just to post this defence of your Governor, abi?
Is it not the same Imo Governor who sat calmly watching in February 2008 while his orderlies brutalised a mother of three in lagos?

We are not deceived.

http://eyeonnaija./2008/04/21/the-many-lies-of-ohakims-secretary/

slimghost:

techboy has just 3 posts, Abdulmutallab has 4 posts. Something tells me you two just signed up just to defend the inbred son of a reterd called Ohakim. You two should get lost now.

mbulela:

you are no public commentator, you are a hired commentator.
make sure they don't pay you with a dud cheque.

slimghost:

techboy has just 3 posts, Abdulmutallab has 4 posts. Something tells me you two just signed up just to defend the inbred son of a reterd called Ohakim. You two should get lost now.

abdulmutab:

You surely didnot read my post well, what iwas saying was that the mad guy that the thief that started this post and his sponsorers would soon realise that nigerians are no fools.