- Prof Stella Okunna
By Emma Asie
A Close confidante and long time aide of Mr Peter Obi, Labour Party s Presidential candidate in the last national elections, Prof Stella Okunna, has said that she does not regret disclosing Mr Peter Obi s ordeal at the Heathrow airport London which she did via her now viral Facebook post recently.
Prof Stella Okunna who is also the current Deputy Vice Chancellor of Paul University Awka, recounted the incidence that lead up to the disclosure and her reasons for doing so when she featured as a guest on Alpha Radio 106.5fm's Political Heat anchored by Emma Asiegbunam ( Mr E on the Mic)
Recall that Prof Stella Okunna wrote on her Facebook page, that Mr Peter Obi was briefly detained at Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom by the Airport authorities over claims that his passport was "duplicated". The incidence happened on April 7th 2023 when Mr Peter Obi travelled to the United Kingdom to attend a function. He was released and allowed to continue his trip only after some Nigerians present at the Airport that day and who witnessed what happened, raised some protests. The Airport authorities have allegedly apologized but this news by the professor have been making waves globally with the opponents of the presidential candidate ridiculing him over it while his supporters expressed concerns over the development.
The former commissioner for Information and former Chief of Staff to Peter Obi, recounted that she noticed that Peter Obi was not looking his normal composed self when they met at an event in Onitsha the day after the event. According to her, having no inkling of what he had passed through she had repeatedly asked him about his well-being and health that day. He later briefly narrated his ordeal to her in confidence. "Though he merely narrated it to me offhandedly in his usual way of not taking such issues seriously, I felt disturbed about it and felt I owe it to my conscience to let the world know what he went through, hence the write up on my Facebook page which if you noticed, I did quite late in the night after some deep thoughts. I doubt if he would have wanted me to publicize it the way I did and I sincerely never thought it would go viral and have such ripple effects the way it is doing now. But even if he felt offended (by it), I owe him no apology because it was a burden I cannot bear alone or keep to myself. The world deserves to know what is happening to him. I have held a lot of positions under his administration and with what he told me, I could not have kept quiet under the weight of such information, my conscience would have killed me. Mr Peter Obi, you have made history and history beckons so I cannot keep quiet. I owe you no apologies over my actions. I have no regrets"
She lamented that the import of the incidence was far beyond what most people imagine, adding that if a personality like him could have his passport duplicated by unknown persons obviously for dubious purposes, then there is no limit to what can be done to him or to ordinary Nigerians. She called on the security and intelligence agencies within and outside the country to investigate and unravel the mystery of the duplicated passport and the persons behind the failed plot to embarrass and implicate Mr Peter Obi. She further advised Mr Peter Obi to exercise extreme caution in all things at times like this and never to take anything for granted.
Speaking on the national elections, she stated that the processes and outcome fell below expectations and minimum acceptable standards and asked the courts to live up to their billings as the last hope of the common man by doing justice to the petitions before them brought by aggrieved participants in the elections.
On the media's practices in Nigeria especially during the elections, the one time Head of Department of Mass Communication and Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences , Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, decried the attempts by the government to gag the media via it's policies and actions and equally condemned the unethical practices of some media houses and practitioners. The veteran media professional and first female professor of mass communication in Nigeria, opined "Some media houses in Nigeria at times play the role of Attack Dogs, attacking and condemning all policies of the government, some others play the role of Lap Dogs of the government, mindlessly supporting all policies of the government no matter how unpopular these policies may be. However, the media is expected at all times to be the WatchDogs of the government... So there should be a balance between the Attack Dog and LapDog roles"
Prof Stella Okunna expressed optimism that with the recent inauguration of the Nigeria Media Complaints Commission (also known as Nigeria Ombudsman) which will serve as a self regulatory tool of the media in Nigeria, media practice in Nigeria will be greatly improved and be more ethical and professional. She, alongside eight other media professionals were inaugurated on the 3rd of April 2023 to oversee the commission.
Professor Stella Okunna holds the traditional title of Ugo Mmuta (Eagle of Knowledge) of Igboland and had served in the administration of Mr Peter Obi (2006-2013) in various capacities which included Commissioner for Information, Chief of staff, Commissioner for Budget and Planning and Commissioner for Achievement of MDGs. She is currently the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) of Paul University Awka.
