Chidi Odinkalu
The Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, has denied that the Commission has been compromised in its investigation of the complaint of illegal detention made by Clara Chime, the wife of the governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime.
In a statement issued today, he described such allegations as both factually inaccurate and manifestly unfounded.
He explained that upon returning from Enugu, the commission’s high level investigation team led by Professor Bem Angwe, its Executive Secretary, issued a public statement on the visit reflecting the public interest in this case.
“Having carefully reviewed the work so far undertaken by the staff of the Commission, I find no bases in them for the claims or speculation, widely circulated in the media, that the Commission has pronounced on the state of health, physical or mental, of the complainant or indeed of any other party in this case,” Dr. Odinkalu said. He added that the NHRC takes seriously its responsibility to fully respect the confidentiality of parties before it and to reach its decisions only on the bases of law and evidence.
He also clarified that the team that the team sent to Enugu did not include any medical personnel, had neither a mandate nor the expertise to pronounce on such matters, and clearly did not do so in the statement issued yesterday.
“While we remain grateful for the growing interest from the public in the work of the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria and support for this work, I wish to please appeal to the public to respect the rights and dignity of the parties to pending cases and respect the integrity of the processes of the Commission, guaranteed by its Governing Council,” he said.
In a reaction to yesterday’s statement issued by the NHRC investigating team, Mrs. Chime suggested they had accepted a bribe from Governor Chime to write a misleading report about her illegal detention.
Following up today in a letter to her lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, she demanded that the report be withdrawn.
“Apart from the fact that the information was largely false, it showed lack of sensitivity in publishing sensitive medical detail. This has the effect of tarnishing and damaging my reputation. It is as though the Commission set out to ridicule me.”
Below is the press statement issued by Professor Angwe:
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TEXT OF PRESS STATEMENT ON THE INTERIM REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION OF ALLEGED INCARCERATION OF HER EXCELLENCY MRS CHIME
The National Human Rights Commission received a complaint from the wife of the Governor of Enugu State Her Excellency Mrs. Clara Chime, in which she alleged to have been incarcerated and subjected to horrific and intolerable conditions that curtailed her fundamental freedoms and threatened the enjoyment of her human rights.
The Commission wrote to the Governor and demanded for access to the complainant in order to obtain more details and to carry out a thorough investigation of the issues raised in the complaint.
Yesterday, I led a team of investigators to the Government House Enugu and we were granted unhindered access to both Mrs. Chime and her apartment in the Government House.
The investigating team held a five hour meeting with Governor Chime, Mrs. Clara Chime, Dr. Jide Chime (the Governor’s sibling) Dr. Aham Agumoh (who has been treating Mrs. Chime) and Tony Igwe, the complainant’s elder brother during which the complainant had an opportunity to state her case and also respond to the issues raised by her husband.
Dr. Uzegu A – a London based consultant psychiatrist and forensic examiner who is the doctor the complainant prefers, also joined the meeting through teleconference.
The team further held private sessions with Her Excellency Mrs. Clara Chime in her apartment, her husband, His Excellency Sullivan Chime, Mrs. Patience Igwe (Complainant’s mother), and Edwin Igwe her brother. All the parties spoke freely and expressed their positions clearly.
We have confirmed that for the last two weeks Mrs. Chime had been confined to her apartment on medical advice for purposes of medical maintenance and security. But she confirmed having possession and control of keys to her apartment, which the team also inspected. We further confirmed that access to her son is not denied after his school and lesson hours.
Both parties have agreed that Mrs. Clara has medical challenges but have disagreement over how to handle her medical condition. The complainant told the Commission that she has lost confidence in the Physician presently handling her condition and no longer wants him to treat her. She further requested to have medical opinion of other medical doctors acceptable to her.
Both parties have agreed that the Commission assemble a team of independent medical experts to review her medical condition and advise on further steps to be taken in respect of her treatment.
We want to thank His Excellency Governor Chime, and Her Excellency, Mrs. Clara Chime his wife and all the persons that we interacted with during our visit for their cooperation with the Commissions team of investigators.
We also want to assure all the parties and Nigerians that the Commission will continue with the investigation of this matter and take appropriate decision that will be in the interest of all the parties and the Commission will not hesitate to invoke its further mandate to mediate between the parties with a view to reconciling them.
Finally we wish to reassure all Nigerians that this Commission is determined to be the instrument that will represent their dreams and aspirations. We wish to make it very clear that in the realm of human rights protection, there is no immunity against impunity.
Prof. Bem Angwe
Executive Secretary
8th November, 2013
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