By Uzoma
Ahamefule
 |
Nig
Amb to Austria
Ms Oyeyinka
|
It is over four months and seventeen days since I made that request without the ambassador finding it important to know this Nigerian that was said to be in pain. It is so sad and regrettable!
According
to Professor Chinua Achebe, "Those who had their kernels cracked for them
by benevolent spirits should not forget to be humble", because our leaders
are privileged to be at the helm of affairs should not make them think that
other Nigerians are fools. The Nigerian Ambassador to Austria and the
Minister of Foreign Affairs should not play with the intelligence of Nigerians
and their emotions any more because there is a limit to human endurance.
I
am compelled in pity to inform the public through this medium as a matter of
principle and concern, and importantly, because of the call I got a week ago
from the person involved in this issue lamenting about the danger of his health
as a result of the torture he was subjected to. I was touched when he said that
he was supposed to have gone for a heart X-ray because of sharp pains inside
his chest since the cruelty of his deportation had occurred but had not because
of financial disability.
The
name of this Nigerian is Uche Peter Obi, who was one of the Nigerians that were
deported from Austria
earlier this year, precisely on January 19. He is crying for justice and help
to be alive. He claimed that he had been tied with a rope to his seat while on
board en-route to Nigeria
and had been beaten mercilessly by one of the policemen attached to the
deportees.
He
said that while the beating had gone on unchallenged, his body started swelling
and his heart beat had become faster as he had remembered that it had been in
similar circumstance that Marcus Omofuma died in the hands of the Austrian
police in1999. He said that he had been so scared to the marrow that he had
thought that he would die. He went further to say that the policeman had rained
provocative and abusive words to him and had boasted that he could do anything
with him and he would do nothing about it.
In
retrospect, Marcus Omofuma was a Nigerian who died on May 1, 1999 as a result
of suffocation because his mouth and nose were taped, his legs and hands
wickedly tied tightly to his seat by the Austrian policemen that were attached
to him on the flimsy excuse that he was making noise while also en-route to
deportation to Nigeria from Austria.
We
must not wait till a Nigerian is killed directly or indirectly in a foreign
land or Uche Peter Obi dies before we can belatedly react.
I
am first constrained as a concerned and patriotic citizen that feels duty bound
as a Nigerian/African who cares about the dignity of his people. Furthermore, I
am forced as a person that has been working very close with African asylum
seekers in helping them in several little ways since 2002. Even though my brain
and my mind clashed severally because of the interest this topic will generate,
I am spiritually encouraged from the inspirational quote of Martin Luther King
Junior, that: "Cowardice asks the question: Is it safe? Expediency asks
the question: Is it politic? Vanity asks the question: Is it popular? But
conscience asks the question: Is it right? And there comes a time when one must
take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must
take it simply because it is right."
A
lot of people have tried to persuade me to abandon this issue considering what
had happened to those that were at the forefront in the protest against the
killing of Marcus Omofuma. But this form of brutality and degrading treatments
from the Western world can not be solved by sceptics or cynics for every
success has got a price. As bestowed by societal influences, freedom is never
for free and no social change is known by history without confrontation or
conflicts.
The
struggle for total emancipation of young Africans, especially asylum seekers
from police brutality and untimely death in the hands of the authorities they
ran to for protection is a struggle for people with character and conscience. I
have bravely with difficulty but without minding the odds or the consequences
brought this ugly, aching, humiliating and heinous treatment meted to this
Nigerian through you to the relevant agencies This is a poignant reminder of a
typical western indifferent way of treating blacks all over the world. The
cruelty to Nigerian asylum seekers and their untimely deaths are against the
Geneva Convention and freedom to life. Just to refresh your memory: In 1994,
Kola Bankole died in the hands of the German police; in 1998, Semira Adamu died
in the hands of the Belgium police; in 2007, Osamuyi Aikpitanhi died in the
hands of the Spanish police; in 2009, Emmanuel Ngozichukwu Ajoku Benedict died
in the hands of the Italian police, in 2010 Alex Uzowulu died in the hands of
the Swiss police and in 2011, Mrs Christy Schnudeck nee Omorodion died in the
hands of the German police just to mention but a few. The avoidable and
challengeable deaths of these Nigerians are so agonising, depressing and
unfortunate! I am so sad and my feeling of sorrow under this situation for
asylum seekers is uncontrollable.
I
have had the opportunity to interview about three people that were in the same
flight with Obi and advisedly find it extremely very important that this claim
should be investigated and followed to a logical conclusion by the Nigerian
authorities in line with its citizens diplomacy policy. This kind of
unchallenged man's inhumanity to man against Africans has metamorphosed into
giving the westerners the impetus to treat blacks like fools and has been the
greatest impediment militating against Africans to be respected in the western
world. Because of the fact that no western citizen would be treated the way Obi
had been treated, I plead with the government to intervene and investigate the
cry of this young man beyond every reasonable doubt.
Obi
might have been extraordinarily lucky to be alive to tell this horrifying story
even though he is still battling with his health as a result of the animalistic
treatment he got in the hands of Austrian authorities. Who knows who will be
the next victim? Who knows the form it will take? And who knows if such a
person will survive the terrible torture and shock? Remember that Marcus
Omofuma did not survive such brutality to tell his story, and provocatively
too, in the hands of the Austrian police also.
The
negligence of duty by the Nigerian Ambassadors is the first gateway to the
molestation and cruel death of so many Nigerians in different parts of the
world. For this reason, I hope and pray that the Nigerian Ambassador to Austria
will not collaborate in the usual way of I do not care attitude whether now or
in future in issuing deportation papers to the Austrian authority without
verification of claims, because the Europeans are gearing up again for another
round of repatriation.
On
this note, I pray that God in His infinite mercies will grant you the time,
desire and courage to see reasons with me in investigating this case in
co-operation with the Foreign Affairs Minister so that the right decisions and
actions could earnestly begin before it is too late.
Because
of my conviction that the Austrian police have improved and cannot be as bad as
this particular police officer is trying to portray it. Because the future of
my children lies in Austria,
therefore I am involved. Based on this, I hereby appeal to the Austrian
Interior Minister and the head of the Austrian Foreign Police or the
appropriate authorities to investigate this allegation just to ascertain the
level of truth in order to fish out the police officer who tried to tarnish the
reputation of this country.
Every
human should be treated with his even when he/she is guilty.
Dear Uzoma,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading through your really emotional piece, I would like to ask few questions:
1). You said all these happened while Mr. Obi was been deported. Where is Mr. Obi as of now?
2). You wrote about his heart problem, which is really of a big concern. What solution do you think can be taken to alleviate this problem.
3). If Mr. Obi is already in Nigeria, what actions do you expect from the Ambassador in Austria.
While I really sympathise with the affected Nigerian, I would like you at the same time to point out the deficiencies of the Ambassador, if any. Living in Europe for over 35 years, I have my own view on cases like this.