THE Ohanaeze Ndigbo has tackled the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami over his declaration that the Federal Government would not interfere with any local or international legal battle involving the former deputy president of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, facing trial for alleged organ harvest in the United Kingdom.
At the 46th session of the State House briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team, Abuja, the minister claimed it was not the tradition of the Nigerian government to interfere in anything judicial, local or international.
Reacting through a statement by its national publicity secretary, Dr Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, said cultural relativism was a vital factor in international relations, which it explained meant that the norms and values of one culture should not be evaluated using the norms and values of another.
Citing various instances to buttress its stand that the government must intervene, the organisation said such obligations are allowed under international law and diplomatic engagements.
It noted that it is the culture and the liberty for groups or nations to exercise their cultural rights that form the basics of international relations. Thus, sovereigns usually interfere to save their citizens in foreign countries.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo believes that Ekweremadu’s case should not be different, especially when Nigeria enjoys longstanding cordial relations with the UK, and all the individuals involved in the UK case are Nigerian nationals.
“There is nothing beyond diplomatic redemption once the political will is there. It is rather curious that the AGF is making reference to Nigeria “Child Rights Act” more than a month after the UK Court ruled that the “donor” is not a child.
“One would expect Nigeria to feel scandalised by the initial contempt by the British authorities in discountenancing an official document of Nigeria on the “donor’s” age in the first place and feel disrespected by the continued refusal to grant Ekweremadu bail for a clearly bailable offence.”
(Tribune)