However, according to reports, the service didn’t go too smoothly. Charles Oputa, a.k.a Charly Boy, the first son of the late Justice prevented Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State from paying tribute to his father.
While Okorocha was giving his tribute speech, Charly Boy allegedly stopped him midway into the speech.
“He walked up angrily to the altar and snatched the microphone from the governor,” states reports.
The Bishop presiding over the event reportedly tried to intervene, however; Charles was irate and reportedly stated that he wouldn’t allow any politician to use his father’s burial to “score cheap political goals.”
The Governor and his entourage were said to have left the church service abruptly after the incident.
Sources reportedly revealed that Charly Boy’s actions stemmed from a recent statement by Government House, Owerri, to the effect that the Oputa family was given N20 million to help with burial arrangements.
Sources however revealed 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.”
In the aftermath of the incident, Sam Onwuemodo, Senior Special Assistant, to Governor Okorocha released the following statement.
“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…
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…”
The statement is also said to contain assertions that the Imo State government gave “a substantial financial input” into the burial.
See Vanguard Story below
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.
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.
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