What Oshiomhole told us- Nyaim

What Oshiomhole told us - Nyiam

"We left Jos and went to Minna, we went through the same experience with Governor Babangida Aliyu and most people there too spoke in terms of ethno nationalities representations. We went to Calabar, we went through the same experience. So we came to Benin, where Governor Oshiomhole shifted the timing and that changed the time we were supposed to meet the Oba of Benin. We saw the governor for at least 40 minutes and he started giving us tutorials as if we are children; he told us that he was a product of Kaduna, that he had his children in Kaduna.

"He went on to now attack the idea of ethno-nation. He argued that we are going to celebrate 100 years next year so what are we going to talk about? I countered that. He argued that we don't need a conference, but with all the troubles we had, for a leader to say we don't need a conference is very sad. It is an insult on the intelligence of Nigerians. In Kenya recently after the elections, there were lots of killings that led to a constitutional conference which turned Kenya from a unitary system to a true federalism.

"With that background, he now came to the venue after the Benin Development Forum spoke. He came late and after listening, he asked for an intervention, he took the micro phone and then decided to repeat the lecture, treating people like students and castigating the Federal Government. More offensive for me was that he was talking down on the elders there, that the idea of them coming together there was a waste of time.

"These two things, one talking down on people is contrary to the philosophy of our people. We had former governors there, elders, traditional rulers. Secondly when we are in an interactive session with the people, it is not for a governor to come and take over the stage, grandstanding. This is a governor that spoke over 40 minutes when we were with him. This idea of governors trying to run down the President, a governor abusing the office of the President to make insinuations against the office of the president, to criticise people's ability for self expression, is unacceptable.

"So when people started booing the governor, I went to the chairman to remind him about the rules of our committee. The chairman said we should give him a chance to continue. He carried on with his derogatory remarks and it was at that point I then said no, not again. When I said that, by this time, his aides tried to come at me, but when I suspected that one was at my back I stood up, then sat down.

"Not long, after a group of people came towards the table, it was then that the DSS people advised that my life was not safe and I was taken away for safety. The Director of the Department of State Service, DSS, mounted security around us; the Commissioner of Police came to see me and they brought security. The Police drove us all out of Edo State because of fears of attack. So contrary to what they said that I mobilized thugs, it is not true, it was Edo people that protected me," he narrated.