Prince Chinedu Munir Nwoko (62) popularly known as Ned Nwoko is a Nigerian lawyer, politician and philanthropist. He was a member of the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003 representing Aniocha North-South and Oshimili North-South of Delta State. Nwoko is said to be rich, a billionaire. But when a Nigerian politician boasts of millions and billions (in Naira and Dollars) then interrogating his past becomes imperative lest he saw himself as a god.
In a nation where corruption walks on four leprous legs Ned Nwokos of this world can afford to be happy knowing fully well that they are above the law, belonging to a greedy prosperous elite oppressing a vast majority of their compatriots.
Prince Nwoko had been in the news lately for wrong reasons of oppression and megalomania. If he was not involved in intimidating and harassing opponents then he must be linked to land-grabbing scandal. When that was not the case then international business fraud bordering on fund-raising must be involved.
Now, Nwoko is embroiled in a legal tangle with Comrade Omoyele Sowore, the SaharaReporters and lawyer Abubakar Marshal of the Falana & Falana Chambers. The Delta Prince is very good at manipulating the law enforcement agents to make his will prevail! Many politicians and businessmen do likewise but Nwoko is overstretching his efforts.
In Asaba and in his village he is notorious for using the police to arrest and detain those courageous enough to oppose his grandstanding and nefarious politics. Tales abound of victims of this crude and rude tactics of his aimed primarily at silencing the opposition no matter how local or infinitesimal.
Nwoko had sued SaharaReporters and the irrepressible Publisher for ‘defamation’ and ‘cyber-stalking’. As the litigation lingers Nwoko is throwing his stupendous wealth, influence and connections around trying hard to intimidate Sowore and do what many before him had failed to do: bring down SaharaReporters and ‘liquidate’ Comrade Sowore!
Based on a silly excuse that the declared AAC presidential candidate had jumped bail lawyer Marshal who stood as surety for Sowore had been arrested and detained unjustly and illegally. Following this abuse of judicial power Sowore had since made himself available by visiting the police unit in Abuja thus debunking the hollow claim that he was on the run.
While lawyer Abubakar has been released with the case fixed for later this month for adjudication what is condemnable here remains Nwoko’s desire to nail Sowore or cause his popular website to lose money or shut down.
To be sure, Comrade Sowore has never been associated with self-help, jumping bail or disrespecting the judiciary. Rather, he has consistently used the instrumentality of the law and superior logic or argument to enforce his fundamental human rights — including that of aspiring for national leadership.
Over the decades Sowore has demonstrated total commitment to the struggle for a better society for which his life had been threatened and for which he had suffered some physical assault. Yet, he is animated by patriotism, brotherhood and the welfare of Nigerians in a chaotic atmosphere of national leadership.
Now, SaharaReporters remains an entity registered abroad, distinctly separate from the personality of the Publisher. The hard-hitting online media organization had broken records as a reference point for breaking news at home and abroad. It has been globally acknowledged as a digital platform for the exposure of executive and legislative fraud and brigandage in Nigeria and elsewhere.
It is neither a friend nor an enemy of anyone! Care is always taken by the management of the New York-based online publication to be on the side of truth and the law. That is why no litigation involving SR had vindicated the initiators. They are always frustrated by their inability to deal with SR or Comrade Sowore.
Comrade Sowore remains a great Nigerian no matter how his adversaries or traducers see him. And like the rest of us, nay, few of us (the fewer we are, of course, the greater the share of national honour!) resolutely dedicated to contributing our quota towards changing radically our national narrative no intimidation, threat or invective would ever make us bow and tremble.
For God and country we shall overcome ultimately!
Nigeria is worth fighting for its stolen soul, her future and greatness. No distraction from any quarters, therefore, would deter us from pursuing the noble cause for which we are patriotically beyond compromise or reproach.
Is Prince Ned Nwoko a bully or a ‘terrorist’? We hold, in the final analysis, that he is more of a glorified terrorist than a bully! While professional terrorists up north and down south use arms and ammunitions to terrorize Nigerians Nwoko uses money as a tool of bullying and terrorism.
He must be reminded that Nigeria is still under democracy even though we concede that under Buharism the rule of law has taken a battering. Terrorism or bullying is a crime under the law. Unless Nigeria has turned into a banana republic (which is not yet the case) then jungle justice would prevail.
As the late erudite legal luminary, Kayode Eso, famously noted: “the essence of the rule of law is that it should never operate under the rule of force or fear.”
Nwoko should better use his vast resources (filthy lucre et al) to lift his people out of poverty rather than engaging in a ‘war’ he is bound to lose.
SOC Okenwa
soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr
