May 11th, 2007
INEC can’t try me, says Ondo deputy governor
INEC can’t try me, says Ondo deputy governor. From Julius Alabi, Guardian
This is incredible!!!
IN a seemingly defiant manner, Ondo State deputy governor, Omolade Oluwateru, yesterday described the threat by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to present him for alleged electoral malpractice as a ruse.
He said that INEC cannot try him as he still enjoys immunity, being the state’s number-two citizen.
Oluwateru, who also denied the alleged snatching of ballot boxes and papers during the April 14 governorship and House of Assembly elections, said the prosecution could only be carried out when evidence have been gathered and collated.
In a statement issued yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Jola Oladumiye, while reacting to a newspaper report credited to the INEC which stated that the commission is ready to prosecute him for hijacking ballot boxes in Akure, lamented that a national officer of INEC erroneously made allegation of ballot box hijacking against him.
His words: “A few moments later, he indirectly retracted his statement by discouraging reporters from probing an issue he had no knowledge of. Since then, INEC has not brought the matter up. But sensational press and the rumour mill have engaged in what they do best, making mockery of their leaders.
“Perhaps, the newspaper and its ludicrous reporter should be reminded that a sitting governor or deputy governor enjoys immunity from prosecution, including that of INEC. But beyond that obvious stance is the
fact that prosecution is carried out only when evidence have been gathered and collated.
“The truth in this case is that Oluwateru did not snatch any ballot box”, he noted.
He said the story is a complete fabrication by the reporter and it is a calculated attempt to ridicule the victory of the PDP at the recent polls and to rubbish the deputy governor’s integrity.
“It is disturbing that a national daily of that status could throw decorum and decency into the wind and flaunt falsehood and conjecture as its headline story”, he stressed.
“Notwithstanding the continued intellectual harassment by these mischief-makers, one hopes that intelligent and patriotic Nigerians will read between the lines and filter truth from fallacy”, the statement added.
2 Responses to “INEC can’t try me, says Ondo deputy governor”
WHAT AGAIN IS NEW? This is not just incredible but brings to the open the mind set of most of the so called leaders and powers that be in Nigeria and their surbodinates. Omolade is just copying his masters. Esin iwaju ni tehin wo sare. They play god, they believe they are above the law and they display such arrogance, deceit and defiance that defies history and make Nigerians especialy outside Nigeria want to hide in shame. But thank God, the people of Nigeria are fed up with these false misrepresentations of the Nigerian thinking and have began openly challenging these retrogressive moves and talks and are saying no to corruption, manipulations, deceit and katakata.
So it is in Nigeria, not in the sane world that if you are in control you can do anything and get away with it. Why then did Clinton did not enjyoy diplomatic immunity in the Monica Lewinsky affair? Why was Sadam Hussain hunted down and later hanged for his attrocities? Oluwateru beleives he is a sitting deputy governor who cannot be touched by the law. Hmmm he had better stand up and start running as he is going to be hunted down like a fox. OMOLADE OLUWATERU IS NOT ABOVE THE LAW OF GOD AND MAN. Those that shot and murdered innocent voters are not above the law. Those that keep on damaging nigeria are not above the law, NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW. All the same thank God for the revelation of the mindset of these people. They talk and reason like people who have been given assurancies by babalawos that they are invincible, untouchable and all powerful sugbon agbara esu da nibiti Jesu ti njoba? They trust in chariot and horses but we trust in the name of the living God. They are brught down and fallen but we arise and stand upright. DR OLUSEGUN MIMIKO, the Lord has heard your cries, as you read Psalms 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 14 & 20 daily, the Lord Jehovah says He will never leave you desolate and will break the teeth of the ungodly in Jesus name. We shall have more revelations and exposures of all hidden secrets in our nairamanikked Nigeria. IROKO YI JO GAB SIBE. NO WORRIES, NO SHAKKING. EVERY VALLEY SHALL BE FILLED AND ALL EVIL MOUNTAINS BROUGHT FLATTENED AND THE PEOPLE SHALL REJOICE – SO SAYS THE LORD.
Well read and make up your minds who is telling what?
Opposition stage-managed insecurity in Ondo, says Olafeso
Reports of violence and insecurity have again taken the centre-stage in Ondo State. Security operatives arrested over 17 people last week allegedly involved in a bloody clash between supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP). While it was yet to die down, Labour Party lawyers cried to both the State Election Petition Tribunal and the Inspector General of Police that their lives were under threat. The state government and the opposition are trading accusations and counter-accusations. Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Eddy Olafeso, explains to ABIODUN FANORO how the opposition was stage-managing violence and insecurity in the state. But Labour Party Chairman, Dr. Olaiya Oni, tells JULIUS ALABI that the insecurity was real. Excerpts:
advertisement
HOW do you view recent reports of violence and insecurity in Ondo State?
The issue of insecurity in Ondo State is not in grave proportion as being painted. We know where this so-called grave reports emanated from – it is from the Labour Party. However, Ondo State is not an island of its own in Nigeria, the issue that is affecting Ondo State is equally affecting other states. Statistically, Ondo State is more peaceful and secure than most other states in Nigeria.
If the alarms were unfounded, where do you place last week’s attack on Dr. Olusegun Mimiko’s counsel in Isua-Akoko and the clash between PDP and LP supporters in Akure?
It is indeed unfortunate that Labour Party and its associates could take politics of winning at-all-cost to this ridiculous level of self-inflicting violence and stage-managed attack to create an atmosphere of violence and insecurity. It is to attract public sympathy and falsely sway public opinion in their favour.
But many people including the Election Petition Tribunal see it differently. The tribunal granted Mimiko’s counsel permission to travel to Abuja to see the Inspector-General of Police for protection?
I think the tribunal should not be dragged into this. But the tribunal was only living up to its pledge to be fair to all and to also say it has regards for issues that border on life and human sanctity. And you may not blame them, because how are you sure somebody is not preparing the stage to actualise this cooked up complaint? What the tribunal has done is run away from playing into a scheme like this.
What do you make of calls on Governor Olusegun to pay off 500 militants he allegedly imported from the Niger Delta to help him win the election?
Agagu is reputed to have brought peace to the Ijaws and the Ilajes who had been at war for over two years. Is it not un-imaginable that the same person would precipitate acts capable of breaching same peace he toiled to enthrone? Agagu did not need and did not use thugs to win election. What won the election for him are democracy dividends he gave them during his first term. Again, this is another crude lie from dissidents. People should ask the simple question, where have these 500 people been housed since after the election? Who has been responsible for their up-keep? Why haven’t they been seen?
While the killers of the late Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the governor, Chief Tunde Awanebi, have not been caught; his family are complaining that their lives are unsafe and that there are plans to cover up…
The death of Chief Awanebi was sad and unfortunate. Nobody could be more touched and sad than the governor, who he had double relations with, first as his CSO and second and most importantly, his brother from home. If the governor were to personally take over investigations into his murder, he would have done so. It was in this spirit that he immediately announced a N10 million reward for anyone with useful information about the murder.
The police are on top of the investigations, members of his family are safe and the state government is ready to give them adequate protection and support.
Why the recent restrictions on commercial motorcycle operators in the state?
That is purely for security reason. The state government did that after a review of the security situation in the state. We don’t have to wait for a situation of a breakdown of security or law and order to strengthen our security mechanism. We have done that to show that we are pro-active. Apart from this, the restriction would go a long way to help in our investigation into the murder of the CSO. The ban on commercial motorcycle is not a panic measure or evidence of breakdown of security as the opposition would want the world to believe.
The ban in our view will help us to monitor events and security in the state effectively. More than before, all stakeholders involved in providing security in the state have been mobilised to give their best.
Could you shed more light on the recent N100,000 moratorium the state promised those keeping illegal arms?
Certainly, this is one of the measures adopted by the state government to ensure security of lives and property. Our investigations have shown that in the wake of the last April general elections, some of the opposition parties imported thugs from all over the country and armed them. There were reported cases of a party chieftain in Owo caught with illegal arms, and in Ode-Irele, thugs numbering about 80 were caught with sophisticated weapons. So, the state governor felt it was necessary to disarm these people and this must be timely done. But in disarming them, the government is of the view that these youths must also be empowered so that they would not become wounded lions after disarming them, a situation that could make them more hardened and ferocious. The goal of the moratorium is double-edge, first to disarm them and secondly to empower them and make them responsible citizens. This is why the state government is working hard on its Youth-in-Agriculture Scheme and other programmes that will actively get them employed and take them away from crime and rehabilitate them in a manner that would make them useful to themselves, their communities and the state.
The governor reportedly blamed members of the opposition for the state’s insecurity…
I think he must have been quoted out of context because the traditional opposition to the PDP, that is the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and the new parties that grew from AD, that is the Action Congress and the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) are not enemies of this government. Recently, these parties went with Agagu to Abuja to declare their commitment to work with him and to work for the development of Ondo State.
Those behind the problem in Ondo State are unfortunately not enemies from outside. They are enemies within the PDP who are not loyal to the ideals of the party and want things done wrongly. They want to take undue advantage of their position in the party to run the state aground, which the governor is vehemently opposed to. The real opposition are already working with us, but the unseen but more potent and dangerous opposition are the dissidents within the PDP. Believe me, when you look at a party like the AD, its members are true politicians, with value and virtues, they are statesmen and they have been supportive.
But some of these parties have denied the pact…
It is not true. The statement credited to the DPA governorship candidate, Olusola Agbesua, who was in the Abuja meeting was fabricated. The man has come out to deny it and to put the record straight, that for the interest of Ondo State people, he would be willing to work with the state governor.
What do you make of comments that the pact was purchased?
I can tell you without fear of contradiction that, all those in opposition, who came up to declare support for Agagu did it out of the need to move Ondo State forward. It was not for any personal ambition, promise, fees or gratification.
The allegation is that the parties were not carried along except their governorship candidates. Why?
If you must talk to any party, you must talk to the leadership of the party first. In every party, the leadership counts. Unless you meet with the leadership of the party, how can you suddenly call others from behind?