Nigeria’s former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has written a passionate letter to the British authorities to temper justice with mercy in handing down sentence on the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Nwanneka Beatrice, in their Organ Harvesting Case in Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, London.
In a two-page letter written and signed by Obasanjo himself and addressed to The Chief Clerk, Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, London, obtained by Prompt News on Wednesday, the elder statesman, appealed to the Chief Clerk of the London court to take into consideration the age-long cordial relationship between the United Kingdom (UK) and Federal Republic of Nigeria to appeal to the court and government of UK to let the sentencing of the accused consider their good character and parental instincts and care be taken into consideration.
Obasanjo who described the crime ascribed to the Ekweremadu’s as unpleasant and condemnable and should not be tolerated in civilized society however pleaded that Ekweremadu and wife who have used their Ikeoha Foundation to do many charitable works for the benefits of society and his conferment with the coveted honour of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) are testament to his service to Nigeria.
The former Nigeria Military Head of State from 1976 to 1979, posited that Mr. and Mrs. Ekweremadu have learnt their lessons and pleaded that their sentencing be reduced so that they can still in future contribute to the development of society and country.
The full details of the letter reads:
Dear Chief Clerk,
RE: IKE EKWEREMADU
I send you-warmest greetings from Nigeria.
My dear Chief Clerk, may I seize this opportunity to commend your utmost dedication and resourcefulness which you have demonstrated with rare qualities of commitment and courage, while also upholding the cherished traditions of the Public Service. i am Olusegun Obasanjo, a soldier commissioned into the British Army of the West African Frontier Force in 1958, and rose to the rank of a full General in the Nigerian Army.
I received the surrender of the Biafran Army at the end of the Nigerian civil war. I was military Head of State from 1976 to 1979 and elected President from 1999 to 2007.
It is with great pleasure that I write in respect of Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who I have known for over two decades. Within this period, l have followed and watched, with keen interest, Ike Ekweremadu’s inspiring career which traversed private legal practice and public-administration. I recall, with fond memories, the beginnings of our political and social relationship at the outset of our collective quest for democratic rebirth for our fatherland. During my administration as a democratically-elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria between 1999 and 2007, Ike Ekweremadu and i had close relationship and interactions as staunch members of our political party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and more so as he got elected into the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2003, of which he has since remained a member till date.
“Within this period of his service in the Nigerian Parliament, he has served as Deputy Senate President of the Senate and has headed so many Committees in various capacities and brought to bear his broad-based experience in legal practice and public administration. Sometime in 2009, he was appointed as the First Deputy Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and made to lead ad hoc Committee to work for the return of constitutional order in the Niger Republic.
I clearly remember that in the heady days of the keen contest for the presidential ticket of our Party early 1999, he joined other well-meaning Nigerians from the South-Eastern part of Nigeria to set aside extraneous considerations and ensured that South East unanimously adopted me for the Presidency. This was without regard to the fact that my closest competitor hailed from their part of the country. I truly cherish his God—fearing, dispassionate, moderate and pan—Nigerian approach to national issues and developments, in our multi—ethnic, multi-religious geo-polity. He dedicates himself to the service of God and humanity and he continues to play visible roles in national development.
Through the lkeoha Foundation, a non—governmental organization founded by him and his wife, in 1997, he and his wife have rendered a lot of charitable activities, enhancing poor people’s access to quality education and healthcare and building their capacity to participate in mainstream social, political and economic activities of their communities. lke Ekweremadu’s conferment with the coveted national honour of Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR, is further testimony to his selfless service to our country, Nigeria.
Mr Chief Clerk, I am very much aware of the current travails and conviction of Ike Ekweremadu and his wife in the United Kingdom resulting from their being charged with conspiring to arrange the travel of a 21-year old from Nigeria to the UK in order to harvest organs for their daughter. I do realise the implications of their action and I dare say, it is unpleasant and condemnable and can’t be tolerated in any sane or civilized society. However, it is my fervent desire that for the very warm relations between the United Kingdom and Federal Republic of Nigeria; for his position as one of the distinguished Senators in the Nigerian Parliament, and also for the sake of their daughter in question whose current health condition is in danger and requires an urgent medical attention, you will use your good offices to intervene and appeal to the court and the government of the United Kingdom to be magnanimous enough to temper justice with mercy and let punishment that may have to come take their good character and parental instinct and care into consideration. I do hope Mr. and Mrs. Ekweremadu have learnt from this distressing experience of theirs to guide their future actions or inactions so they will continue to be outstanding members of their community and will continue to contribute fully to the good of the society in particular and the nation in general.
Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration.
OLUSEGUN OBASANJ0
Nigeria’s Military Head of State (1976-1979)
President. Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999-2007)