ON KAMENE OKONJO

The recent kidnap of the mother of the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is a case of the sins of the children being visited on the parents (which is unlike what is provided for in the Holy Books that the sins of the fathers shall be visited on the children).

It is agreed that Professor Chukuka Okonjo is the father of the Minister of Finance. But it in no way means that the Professor is in support of what his daughter is doing. 

From our research, Professor (and his wife) is a man of integrity and his views and positions on issues are pro-people and pro-development. An attestation to this fact is premised on the position that he is a member of the Trustees of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

He has a sound proposal on the transformation of the educational system in Nigeria which would make education free and qualitative. If father and daughter were on the same page, the daughter should have championed the implementation of the proposal in government.

If Professor Kemene Okonjo was not the mother of the Minister, she might not have been the target or victim of the kidnap. The fact that the kidnappers demanded 1 (one) billion dollars for her release is no doubt not unconnected with her daughter's status. (But seriously, were the kidnappers hoping for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to pay the ransom?) Or maybe it wasn't 1 billion dollars but 1 billion Naira as the Police are claiming.

Now that negotiations have begun and the abductors of the 82 0r 83-year-old woman have reduced the ransom to 200 million Naira (probably because they feel Ngozi can pay this herself without the World Bank's help), maybe Ngozi would be able to get her mother out of the kidnappers den now.

We call on the Police authorities (not the arrested ones) and security operatives to help secure the release of Professor Kemene Okonjo because she is good people and kidnapping, no matter the motive, is criminal.

Our hearts go out to the family of His Majesty, Professor Eze Chukuka Aninshi Okonjo Agbogidi, the reigning Obi of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom in Delta State and we hope that his Queen, Professor (Mrs) Kamene Okonjo is in good health wherever she is being held to ransom.