EKWEREMADU JAILED

The travail of the former Deputy President of the Senate, HE Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice in the United Kingdom because of the love for their daughter, Sonia, demonstrates the extent parents could go to protect and preserve the safety of their children.

There are no genuine parents who are not committed to the warfare of their children such that they are ready to take bullets to protect them.

As Christians, we note how much Christ valued the children that He had to stop his apostles who were trying to prevent the children from meeting him. He said “Let the little children come to me” (Matthew 19:14). Saint Paul expounded this love in his letter to the Corinthians when he said, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth”.

With love for children, parents can take risks, no matter the type of risks. Michael Zuckerberg had said that “The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a world that changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”

This is why Amber Bead stated that, “The only love in this universe that is truly unconditional, selfless, and forgiving is parental love”.

The situation Ekweremadus are facing today could have been anyone. When the Judge who presided over the organ Harvesting case made his ruling and the defence lawyer to Mrs Ekweremadu made a case for temporary “bail” to enable the woman attend to her daughter before the sentencing in May, the Judge refused and ordered that Mrs Beatrice be committed to prison immediately pending the sentencing on 5th May, 2023. The reason why the Judge refused that plea for temporary bail was because there was strong belief that the Ekweremadus had the resources to use any means to leave the UK if given such an opportunity.

That temporary “bail” denial was an emotional moment for the family and Ekweremadu and their daughter, Sonia. It meant that Madam Beatrice would not be seeing her daughter except she is visited in prison for the period of imprisonment depending on how long, after the sentencing.

The lessons from the plights of Ekweremadus could be seen in different ways: our political leaders should not take many things for granted. It appeared very easy to have convinced the young man looking for help to accept the offer by the Ekweremadus even without knowing the implications. But God had a different agenda, to protect the young man from harm and to expose the intention of his masters. There was nothing preventing the Ekweremadus from exploring other options from family members and even the United Kingdom for solutions without resorting to exploitation of the less privileged. Leaders who have had opportunities to make laws for this country should endeavour to ensure that our laws are implemented. It has become possible to prosecute the Ekweremadus because the incident happened in a country where laws are respected with no recognition for class or position. Another important lesson is that leaders must make our health sector to work. If our health institutions are working with the amount of money provided annually to the sector in every appropriation year, perhaps, the Ekweremadus would not have had the need to look for solutions in Britain.

However, it has happened. It’s about love for children and the family. Genuine and Committed parents could go to any length to save the life of their children. But may this plights of Ekweremadus help our leaders to now see the need to reposition our health institutions, respect our laws and understand that no one is bigger than the law and the society. Finally, God always protects the innocent like the young man whose organs would have been harvested and He shows mercy to who He wants to show mercy. May God help the Ekweremadus to serve their sentences in good health and may God also protect and heal Sonia so that she will in the long run have reason to celebrate her parents who had to undergo this torture and bear the public shame for the love they have for her.