Friday, March 29, 2024

Freed Felix Ngoma arrives back home

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INTERNATIONAL Organisation for Migration employee Felix Ngoma hugs his wife Mary
INTERNATIONAL Organisation for Migration employee Felix Ngoma hugs his wife Mary

THE International Organisation for Migration (IOM) employee Felix Ngoma, who was abducted by suspected Janjaweed militia in Sudan, has returned home describing his 21 days in detention as the most horrible in his life.

Mr Ngoma arrived on Ethiopian Airlines at 14:00 hours to the jubilation of his family and Government officials, including Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary George Zulu and his Tourism and Arts counterpart Steven Mwansa.

Narrating his ordeal on arrival at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, Mr Ngoma said his captors sometimes kept him without food or water for days on end and only survived through some well-wishers who risked their lives by sneaking food to him.

“The first four days I went without food and water,” the surprisingly composed Mr Ngoma said. “Those people did not care whether I had eaten or not but somehow I knew that as long as they kept me under lock and key, they were not going to harm me.”

Mr Ngoma’s joyful mother, Halesi Chima, jokingly asked him how come his potbelly was still intact despite his disclosure that he went for days without eating.

He thanked the Zambian and Sudanese governments, his employers IOM, the entire United Nations Systems in New York and Geneva, the African Union and United Nations chief of Mission in Sudan for their role in securing his release.

Mr Ngoma said working in Sudan was an occupational hazard but vowed to go back to work as soon as possible.

He said all the people who were instrumental in his release occupy a special place in his heart and lauded the united front all stakeholders put up after hearing his abduction.

Mr Ngoma’s wife Mary recounted the anguish of hearing that her husband had been abducted by the rebels and that the family feared for the worst but never lost hope.

“To borrow his words, it was a horrible experience. We lived in fear wondering what was going to happen to him. Thank God he is here with us today,” she said.

Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba said President Michael Sata was happy with the release of Mr Ngoma and that the Head of State was closely monitoring the case.

Mr Kalaba said this at his office during a brief ceremony at which IOM chief of Mission Andrew Choga and UN resident coordinator Janet Rogan handed over Mr Ngoma to the Zambian Government.

“This is a joyous day for all of us. On behalf of the Zambian Government, I would like to express gratitude to the IOM, the UN and all other parties, including the Mission in Geneva that worked tirelessly to release Mr Ngoma. Welcome home,” he said.

Dr Choga said the IOM was happy that Mr Ngoma had returned unharmed and that the organisation was looking forward to work with him after he recovers from his ordeal.

Ms Rogan said the UN System rejoiced at the momentous release of Mr Ngoma from his captors and that the organisation was happy to have played a part in securing his release.

INTERNATIONAL Organisation for Migration employee Felix Ngoma waves to onlookers as his wife Mary (left), his mother Halesi Chima (second from right) and Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary George Zulu (right) look on following his arrival at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka
INTERNATIONAL Organisation for Migration employee Felix Ngoma waves to onlookers as his wife Mary (left), his mother Halesi Chima (second from right) and Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary George Zulu (right) look on following his arrival at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka

18 COMMENTS

  1. Of all things, he only thought of FOOD. He couldn’t thank captors for not beating him up. I tried to search for word GOD or Jesus or prayers in his celebratory speech, someone please help me find it.

    • GREAT ONE. ONLY A NOSTRADAMUS CAN NOTICE THE OBVIOUS. HE IS A NGONI WARRIOR, OF COURSE HE WILL ONLY THINK OF FOOD AND WOMEN!!! YOU ARE KILLING ME MAN!!

    • @ NOSTRAMADUS…….you just made my day when I read you comment that he only thought of FOOD. I suspect he did think of God and definitely pleaded with God . It was just a spur of the moment speech and of course FOOD seemed to be highest on the physical needs list.

    • He has vowed to go back, really. He needs to be considerate of his family and Zambians, why allotwing others to be stressed. Even developed countries issue travel warnings on violatile countries. Zambians should avoid war torn countries it is stressful to the people back home. The UN and other International Organizations need to train educated locals for those jobs.

    • Imwe ba Nostradamus you fancy yourself as really smart aini? Just because there’s an option for comment does not mean you should comment even when you have nothing sensible to say. Whoever is giving you the ‘up’ vote don’t get it either. FOOD is essential for survival. A whole society can be decimated for lack of food.He should have been given food the very first day. FYI Food deprivation has been used as a weapon of war so you might want to rethink your view of the importance of food. And why should the man thank his captors for not beating him up? Why should they have beat him at all? He was taken for ransom. He was their lottery ticket. As for his omission of God and Jesus in this whole ordeal, what if he doesn’t believe in them?

  2. you are one of the Few lack people in the world,surviving from the rebels .if you dont go to church ,better start now ,God directed all this.

  3. Sata had nothing for you to be free don’t let the minister of foreign affairs lie to you the man can not remember anything thank your employers and ask to for redeployment this is not a joke.

  4. Sata surely you have lost your brains, any govt throughout the world cares for his or her Citizenry. Talking after smoking DOBO compounded by hallucinations and paranoia this is the result vomiting nuisance after disjointed statements possibly you are the most frustrated person there. Mr Sata remains the head of state and it will remain like this. You never voted for Mr Sata but the Zambian did this. Who are you to question the integrity of Zambians when you hid behind the keyboard and write things out of this planet. If you want change in the way you want come to Zambia lost soul and join the campaign trails and get bruised.

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