Uzoma Okere and Abdullahi Abdulazeez must have been caught up in the euphoria of the democracy that Nigeria has been 'enjoying' since the 29th of May, 1999. How else could they have thought that as citizens of Nigeria, they had the right to drive peacefully along any Nigerian road. On that day in December of 2008, how could they not have seen the four naval ratings in the car behind them and even if they saw, how could they have dared not to give way to those men in uniform. How dare they?!
If you ask those naval ratings, they asked for it. They (Uzoma and Abdulazeez), bloody civilians as it were, had no common sense whatsoever that when you are driving on the road, any road, anywhere in Nigerian, and there happen to be some military persons behind you, you MUST make way and allow them to pass. It does not matter if in doing so, you endanger your life and the lives of other road users. For this lack of common sense, Uzoma was manhandled by four naval ratings: her blouse was torn, barebody from the waist up, she was dragged on the ground. Her body was bruised and battered but her fighting spirit had just been awakened.
She did not shrug off the incidence nor did she believe that there was nothing she could do. She took the matter to court and guess what? She won!! So last week, Uzoma Okere joined the league of millionaires as she was awarded 10million naira as damages for assault, ordered by Justine Opeyemi Oke. Now I am sure that Rear Admiral Harry Arogunade, the navy and the four naval ratings who were all jointly sued in the case, will not be treating any one as a 'bloody civilian' any time soon. Now that is what I love to see in my world.
Onovo Ogbonna is another man in uniform who has something against bloody civilians. Especially those married to women in uniform. The man believes that in the African culture, wives shouldn't take responsibility for housing their husbands. To drive home his point, on the 15th of December last year, he ordered all female cops married to civilians to vacate the barracks. Onovo seems to be confirming what I have known since I was knee high: that the police force on our side of the globe, has got its priorities all wrong.
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I salute the courage of Uzoma Okere and hope this will open a way for many Nigerians to recognize human dignity in whatever office they occupy. The use of sirens and government vehicles to terrorize road users in Nigeria will end one, I hope. For the ignoble police men, am not surprise since most of them has no respect for peoples' private life. Such an officer as Onovo must be using his wife(if any) as an object not as a partner, mark my words.
ReplyDeleteI am becoming increasingly optimistic about the revolution that will take place in this nation. Justice and equity will take its place in full swing soonest! Bravo Uzoma!
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