Anambra Governorship Poll, Agitation For Self Determination And Its Generated Insecurity In Eastern Nigeria
Intersociety, Friday, 22nd October 2021: The leadership of Int’l Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law is happy to announce the readiness and willingness of our board chair, Emeka Umeagbalasi to address the world at an international press conference on: Anambra Governorship Election, Agitation for Self Determination and Its Generated Insecurity in Eastern Nigeria and Other Issues of Critical National Importance.
Umeagbalasi, 52, one of the finest and thinkable brains in the present generation of democracy and human rights defenders and leaders in Nigeria, was recently befallen by a harvest of irreparable deaths in his family which he also heads. Apart from losing his closest family ally and kid brother, Chinonso Raphael Umeagbalasi who died tragically on Thursday, 22nd July 2021 at the prime age of 32 and was interred on Saturday, 9th Oct 2021 in Enuama, Ifite-Ezinifite, Aguata LGA, Anambra State; his beloved mother, Lolo Patricia Mgboli Umeagbalasi, also gave up almost same hour her beloved ‘last born’, Chinonso was being interred. Late Lolo Patricia Mgboli Umeagbalasi died in her early 70s and according to Family sources, she gave up because of shock and trauma of ‘losing her closest child and last born’. Her body has since been deposited in mortuary.
Intersociety has since consoled Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi and his entire Family. The Southeast Based Coalition of Democracy and Human Rights Organizations, a coalition of over 20 democracy and rights groups as well as the Eastern Nigeria Rights and Intelligentsia Coalition, a group of over 40 rights groups and intellectuals, among others, have also sent their condolences. Intersociety again deeply sympathizes with our Board Chair and prays to the Almighty God and Angels of the Heaven to grant him fortitude to bear the two irreparable losses.
The good news is Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi’s announcement of his readiness and willingness to go back to the Aluta trenches. Umeagbalasi, an iconic Democracy and Human Rights defender and consistent social critic, will be speaking to the world in a world press conference to be held in Enugu on Sunday, 24th October 2021. He has remained one of the few most consistent and uncompromised voices for social change in the country and beyond and has been a Democracy and Human Rights defender since his mid 20s in 1995. As a University trained Criminologist and Graduate of Security Studies with a post graduate expertise in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, in addition to vast experience in grassroots democracy and human rights campaign and a leading contributor to the growth of democracy and human rights particularly in his State of Anambra, Umeagbalasi has been under sustained pressure and persuasion to speak expertly and advisory on ‘Anambra’s Nov 6, 2021 Governorship Poll, Agitation for Self Determination and its flouted Constitutional safeguards and generated insecurity’.
This is more so when he had defended thousands of defenseless citizens of Eastern Nigeria and strongly risen in defense of their rights and liberties including release of hundreds of them and exposing the massacre, abduction, maiming, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention as well as disappearance of countless others. Umeagbalasi, also a strong advocate of ethno-religious tolerance, diversity, peaceful co-existence and inclusiveness, preeminently posses power of persuasion and expertise with unmatched voice and respect. Mr. Umeagbalasi will be joined in the ‘International Enugu Press Conference’ by selected leaders of Southeast CLO and Coalition of Southeast Based Human Rights and Democracy Organizations (SBCHROs).
Intersociety hereby appeals to all critical stakeholders in the above mentioned topics in Anambra State, Southeast and South-south Regions, Nigeria and the world at large to hook up to the ‘International Press Conference’. The critical stakeholders being called upon include all political parties and their candidates/politicians involved in the Nov 6 Governorship Poll in Anambra State, the Government of Anambra State, the heads of all security agencies involved including spy and open policing agencies, State and national officials of INEC, the Government of Imo State, other Civil Society leaders, all the self determination groups (defensively armed and unarmed), Anambra Voters, local and international Igbo intellectuals and leaders, university students and their student union officials, community leaders, traders and artisans, the mainstream and social media activists, international diplomats and local and international human rights and democracy research institutions and organizations.
Also under ‘corporate social responsibilities’, we are passionately appealing to members of the leading electronic media in Nigeria especially the likes of Arise TV, Channels TV, AIT, Silver Bird TV, Galaxy TV, Minaj TV, Entertainment TVs and their international counterparts covering Nigeria as well as recognized ‘Web Media’ such as ‘Njeje Int’l Web Media’ to freely send in their news crews so as to cover the ‘Enugu International Press Conference’. This is because as ‘nonprofit CSOs working tirelessly for the betterment of the Society’, we cannot afford the price tag for hiring any of the TV Media mentioned above including official invoice price and their crews’ transport, feeding and accommodation. For consideration of our appeal in this regard, we can be reached for coverage on +2348100098016.
Signed: Barr Chidimma Evangeline Udegbunam
Head, Campaign & Publicity, Int’l Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law