IGBO SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT AND KALU’S RELEASE

We the Igbo Solidarity Movement have noted with disappointment the views expressed by senior lawyers like Prof. Itse Sgay and Chief Femi Falana on the acquittal of former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzo Kalu by the nation’s apex court over his trial and conviction on the N7.1 billion allegations by a federal high court in Lagos.

We are taken aback and totally disappointed that individuals, especially lawyers who had benefitted from the temple of justice will at this time malign and drag the reputation of the Supreme Court to the mud. This is particularly painful considering that they had used the same institution to rise to the top and gain relevance in their legal profession. As a group we hail the Supreme Court for their display of uncommon wisdom and knowledge, with their accurate interpretation of the law and not allowing an innocent man to suffer based on a clear travesty of justice.

We are gratified that most Nigerian legal luminaries had already acceded to the fact that the judgment is right and impeccable as you can’t build something on nothing, hence the quashing of the judgment of the lower court. We had expected Prof. Sagay and his ilk to go beyond personal sentiments and support the Nigerian Judiciary to function without unnecessary haranguing, intimidation or imputation of ill-motives, so that the rich and the poor, big and small will always benefit from the justice system.

We therefore condemn in totality the attempt by Prof. Sagay and Chief Falana to malign the Supreme Court by using such words like “setback’’ and “ruling class’’ in their press statements over the judgment. We want to restate for the umpteenth time that the judgment of the Supreme Court nullifying the conviction Orji Kalu was not only based on facts of law, but empirical evidence and in tune with the maxim that it’s better for ninety-nine guilty people to go scot free than for one innocent man to suffer.

We hereby congratulate Senator Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu on his victory at the apex court, and implore him to use his position at the National Assembly to deliver democracy dividends to Abia State in general.

Chief Boniface Enekwechi,
National President