GIST ME JOOR

Give it to Comrade Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole: he won the recent political battle in Edo State from all fronts. His mastery of propaganda, political communication and coupled with the well-liked belief of some people that he worked in the state when compared with the thieving administration of former Governor Lucky Igbinedion did it for him. For him, every weapon was necessary for the battle, which swelled the suffocating political tension in the state a few days before the July 14 election.

The gruesome murder of Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, the principal private secretary to Oshiomhole, was one of the “weapons of mass destruction” that was effectively employed by the governor in criminalising his major opponent, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and its leaders.  With a section of the media acting as willing tools, Oshiomhole succeeded in creating a huge perception among many naive people that leaders of the PDP were behind the killing of his “son” (that is how he calls Olaitan) in order to weaken his fighting spirit for the election. He led a violent protest on the streets of Benin City, to the Benin monarch’s palace and eventually gave the security agencies a two-week ultimatum to fish out the killers of Olaitan. He openly accused the leader of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, of spearheading the murder and went ahead to name Delta Street, where Anenih’s house is located, as Olaitan Oyerinde Street.

As if that was not enough, after that criminal incident, some of Oshiomhole’s aides sustained the propaganda and alleged that Anenih was also targeting them for assassination. While this dirty propaganda went on, the Iyasele of Esanland refused to be sidetracked and goaded. He maintained his cool. For those who know the governor very well, the rationale behind that seemingly half-truths and grubby propaganda that characterised his campaign for the July 14 governorship election was achieved on July 15 when the Independent National Electoral Commission returned him winner of the election.

Now, does Oshiomhole still care about how his son was killed? Does he still think Anenih was behind the killing? Why has he suddenly remained deaf and dumb in the face of conflicting reports by the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigeria Police Force on how Olaitan was brutally killed?

From the SSS, we were told recently that “careless talk” from the security guard of the slain former principal secretary to Oshiomhole gave suspected armed robbers the clue that took them to Oyerinde’s house. Ms. Marilyn Ogar, the spokesperson of the security agency who briefed the press in Abuja while parading the suspects, said Oyerinde’s security guard, Ali Ihade, made known his master’s wealth and influence in the Oshiomhole government during a family meeting.

According to the SSS, the flippant utterance by the security guard was capitalised upon by a member of the family who is also a member of a suspected gang of armed robbers. Six principal suspects - Mohammed Ibrahim Abdullahi, Raymond Onajite Origbo, Chikezie Edeh, Saidu Yakubu a.k.a Iman, Sani Abdullahi Abubakar and Hassan Bashiru - have been paraded as killers of Olaitan. One of the robbers who fielded questions from journalists claimed he shot and killed Olaitan after he ran into his bedroom and attempted to go under his bed.

But from the police’s angle, we are being told that Olaitan was assassinated and the executive director, African Network for Economic and Environmental Justice (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor, is being detained over the alleged murder of the former principal secretary to Oshiomhole. Rev. Ugolor was said to have been arrested and whisked away by police in plain clothes that swooped on ANEEJ corporate headquarters in Benin City recently. Irreconcilable contradictions from two government’s security agencies, you may say. Yes.

In the last few days, some critical segments of the civil society have expressed worry over the way and manner this heinous crime against humanity has been handled and the many unanswered questions these contradictions have generated. But more worrisome is the seemingly criminal silence of our comrade governor over the matter. The governor, who once gave the security agencies, ultimatum and threatened to employ every means to bring the killers of Olaitan to justice, has suddenly turned cool and refused to comment on the controversy. At a time many people are putting pressure on the security agencies to explain whether Olaitan was killed by armed robbers or assassinated for political reason, Oshiomhole’s silence is being given different meanings. Will he speak out now so as not to give the impression that he is no longer interested in the case since he has achieved his political objective - winning the July 14 governorship election? For sure, his silence could be misinterpreted by some members of the public that he knew how Olaitan was brutally murdered.

In the interim, I think the comrade and some members of his party need to publicly apologise to Chief Anenih over their wicked libelous statements against an innocent man who was widely criminalised for mere political reasons.

Some people may not want to hear it: I am one of the few people who do not get carried away by Oshiomhole’s rhetoric when it comes to serious matters that require deeper intellectual reflection. On many occasions, I have been proved right. I have said in this column, when Oshiomhole accused Anenih of having a hand in the killing of Olaitan, that he was just playing dirty and wicked politics. Yesterday I read Oshiomhole’s advertorial in some national dailies celebrating Anenih’s 79th birthday. This is what he said about the Iyasele of Esanland: I wish our respected elder statesman a happy 79th birthday.”

Imagine! Somebody he accused of killing his “son” a few weeks ago is today being celebrated as a “respected elder statesman”. Right-thinking people know that respected elder statesman do not do evil and Oshiomhole has just confirmed the innocence of Anenih over the killing of Olaitan. That is by the way. The comrade governor must take his usual combative posturing to the doorsteps of the SSS and the Nigeria Police Force and ensure that the contradictions being generated on how Olaitan was killed are urgently resolved. This is one case the security agencies must resolve in the interest of justice.

 Via Leadership Newspaper