……. Says Togba is mentally deranged
Reactions have continued to trail the claims by the convener of the Conscience of Ogoni People, Gani Topba, that Rivers state government poisoned late Dr Ferry Gberegbe.
Gberegbe was shot in the stomach during the March 9 governorship and house of assembly elections in Bori.
The State Government and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, accused the then commander of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Akin Fakorede of masterminding the killing.
But Togba on Thursday exonerated the police, blaming the state government for poisoning the late academic who died a week later at St Patrick’s hospital from his injuries.
He also alleged that the current chairman of the Academic Staff Union of the Polytechnics, Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bori, arranged cultists who shot the lecturer.
However, reacting to the allegations by Togba, the local government chairman of Khana LGA, Lahteh Looloh, described Togba as a mentally deranged liar.
According to him: “Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have wasted time responding to a man whom I’m very convinced deserve to be confined to the wards of the psychiatric hospital but for the unwarranted and unconscionable attack on the grave of my late friend, Dr. Ferry Gberegbe, who died fighting for democracy, I feel compelled to set the record straight.
“I don’t want to hold brief for the current President of Kenpoly ASUP as he’s well capable of doing that himself, and also wouldn’t want to go into the issues surrounding the death of Dr. Ferry as the matter is already in court, but it may interest the public to know that the current President of ASUP, Mr. Prince Sudor Nwiyor, had been elected ASUP President for over a month before the death of Dr. Ferry, and so there was no conflict of interest relating to the ASUP election that could’ve led to his death.
“In fact, as was witnessed by the whole world in a Facebook live video stream, Dr. Ferry Gberegbe, my dear brother and friend, stood side by side with me and the ASUP President on that fateful day challenging the brute forces of the Federal SARS in defence of democracy.
“He died a hero before the rest of the world and no amount of lies told by crises profiteers can distort the facts surrounding his very unfortunate demise.
” Mr. Gani U. Topba is a mentally disturbed individual with duplicitous character, he would spare no one, not even the dead, in his personal vendetta against the state government.
” On behalf of the good people of Ogoni, I feel the need to apologize to the rest of society for our failure to reign in this madman before he broke lose to the society.
” They say shame is not felt by a madman the same as it is felt by his brothers. We feel very much ashamed that a character like this continues to bring the name of our people to disrepute every single day.
” Our sincere apology to the Governor of Rivers State, Barr. Nyesom Wike, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, and to the Khana and entire Ogoni people for the embarrassment this irresponsible outburst must have caused them”
