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| Charles Oputa a.k.a. Charley Boy |
Arequiem mass organised for the late Socrates of the
Supreme Court, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa at his country
home in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State was
disrupted yesterday, when the first son of the former erudite
judge, Charles Oputa, a.k.a Charley Boy prevented Governor
Rochas Okorocha from paying tribute to his father.
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.
Earlier in his sermon, Bishop who lauded the virtues of
Justice Oputa, stressed that “to tolerate a son like Charley
Boy by a man of late Justice Oputa’s reputation, is a
measure of the greatness of the man.”
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.
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state
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