***Blast Delta State Government for working against #Justice4Keren
The Intelligence Unit of the Coalition of Gender Based Violence Responders has unmasked those parading themselves as members of the Civil Society who met with Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Abuja last week.
Thereafter, they had issued a statement that showed that they were not interested in seeking the truth about why and how Keren-Happuch Aondodoo Akpagher died, but in diverting attention from the real events, that led to the death of the 14 year old girl after being hospitalised.
According to a statement on behalf of a phantom coalition of 15 Non-Governmental Organisation, its coordinator, Deacon Okezi Odugala said they were more interested in the last 48 hours of Keren-Happuch than any other event, saying that the medical procedure where she was hospitalized ought to be scrutinized.
Keren-Happuch, a boarding student of Premiere Academy, Lugbe, died on June 22, 2021 after she contracted sepsis from the condom left inside her by a rapist, an infection which spiked her bold sugar and led to her tragic end, according to medical reports.
Responding to Odugala and his coalition, which he described as phantom, Executive Director of Men Against Rape Foundation and Leader of the Gender Based Violence Responders, Lemmy Ughegbe said since the unfortunate self-serving and diversionary statement issued by Odugala and his cohorts, the Intelligence Unit (IU) of the responders has unmasked the phantom coalition assembled by Odugala.
“Our Intelligence Unit also found that Odugala is currently the Director General of Delta State Public Procurement Commission and is therefore in breach of public service rule by running a venture which detracts from his official mandate. We shall take this up with the Government of Delta State”, he promised.
Ughegbe also noted that Odugala, being an appointee of the Delta State Government, has tacitly implied that the oil rich state was protecting Premiere Academy from being called out to account for the events leading to the hospitalization of Keren.
He said “Delta State Government, through its appointee and Director General of the State Public Procurement Commission, Deacon Okezi Odugala is seeking to shut up people for calling Premiere Academy to account for what happened to Keren especially between the 15th and 16th of June, 2021. This position by Delta State Government can only earn it the status of a hypocrite given its rapid and clear reaction and support for the closure of Dowen College in Lagos following the death of a Delta Child, 12 year old Sylvester Oromini allegedly as a result of bullying and poisoning.”
“Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has earned a good reputation and if Odugala doesn’t represent the view of the state, he must call him to order and checkmate his meddlesomeness on a matter he lacks neither the capacity nor the official license”, he added.
Ughegbe also said “Our Intelligence Unit found that of the 15 NGOs, which make up the phantom coalition, 7 are unknown, unregistered and do not have a history of any previous work or advocacy recorded to their names.”
He listed the unknown or unregistered bodies to include Women Initiative for Value Empowerment, Manpower Development Foundation, Greenalive Initiative, Chikasi Youth Foundation, Phew Children Foundation, Centre for Cultural Heritage and Tourism Development and Bethel Rights Foundation.
Our Intelligence Unit also discovered that although the other organs are registered, they have no bearing whatsoever with issues around Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV).
The Intelligence Unit found that 2 of the other 8 organs are registered to focus on environmental issues and with no mandate to delve into issues around SGBV.
“Eziodu Initiative for Sustainable Environmental Development describes itself as an NGO working for environmental protection and sustainable development with special focus on rural communities in Africa and Greensphere Environmental and Community Development Initiative concerns itself with environmental issues also”, Ughegbe stated.
He also noted that “White Angels Foundation, which is part of the phantom coalition jumbled together by Odugala, was registered to focus on the promotion of the rights and health of Albinos and has nothing whatsoever to do with SGBV.
While Save The Child Foundation describes itself as “an NGO set up to fight Child Labour, the only record of any work or presence of Save The Child Foundation is a blog solely promoted by Emeka Obichukwu Ewenike, which he describes as a “topnotch blog for children, childcare, women and parental guidance.”
The Intelligence Unit also found that the known organs are all based in Delta State, mostly in Asaba and one in Warri.
“This shows the desperation of the school to shop for Civil Society mercenaries to help it out. Unfortunately, they are very disingenuous in how they have gone about it, Ughegbe noted.
He said “they should have searched Abuja well for CSOs with bias for SGBV to help them. But then, that will be a herculean task, which they cannot succeed with.”
It smacks of desperation and ineptitude to recruit people outside jurisdiction and based in Delta with no training or mandate around SGBV.
The Coalition of GBV Responders also sympathised with Premiere Academy over its crystal clear desperation that has led to using fictitious names to place lame and phony articles in the media in order to confuse the public by feeding them misinformation.
“I understand their desperation and I sympathise with them. All we are interested in his to get the rapist. And in their media propaganda, they talk of CCTV footages of 17th and 19th of June 2021. We are not interested in those ones. We are interested in the CCTV footages of 15th and 16th of June 2021. Those footages will explain what happened to Keren. Why is it so hard for them to make those footages available? Why?” the coalition leader queried.
