Imprisonment Of 10 Stone-Throwing Youths:

Sadness, Tears In Esanland
v Who Do Anyhow, Will Be Treated Anyhow – Obaseki
v Don’t Impose Inegbedion, Others On Us – Esan Youths Tell APC
v The PDP Factor
By Honours Akhigbe
August 20, 2018, is a day that cannot be forgotten in a hurry in the entire five local government areas that constituted Edo Central Senatorial District of Edo State.
It was the day that the state governor, His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, visited leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the district, mainly made up of the Esan speaking people, for leaders of the party to interact and review the progress report on governance of the Obaseki led administration and the 2019 general elections.
Expectedly, the meeting was stormy as some of the members present were divided over the delivery of democracy dividends to Esanland by the APC administration for nearly 10 years. Whereas, some of the party members cried against marginalization and imposition of candidates on the district, others applauded the APC government for performing very well.
But like a house divided against itself, some youths believed to be members of the APC, decided to over assert themselves by turning uncivilized when they started throwing stones at the car and convoy of the state governor.
This was an unexpected rare behavior and from the records, the first time youths in the area will be engaging in such an unpopular and condemnable activity, irrespective of whatsoever provocation.
Interestingly, the security details for whatever reason(s) did not open fire on the attackers but rather professionally protected the governor and members of his entourage from any harm.
“If they (security men) had open fire on the unscrupulous youths who dared to attack the visiting governor, it would have been a different thing now. We thank God, they behaved as professioners and well-trained men.
“They just ensured that the governor and his team were not harmed. They quietly moved them to safety and continued with their journey to Benin City,” an informed source told The Reliance.
However, The Reliance investigation revealed that the attack on the governor may have been occasioned by the alleged decision by the APC to impose candidates on the district during the 2019 general election.
Some APC youths under the aegis of Esan Youth Movement (EYM) had last week called on both Governor Obaseki and the leadership of the APC in the state to allow party members in Edo Central Senatorial District to have a say as to who will be their 2019 candidates.
They rejected what they described in a press statement as “a brazen act of imposition”, saying that attempts to impose Mr. John Inegbenion, a Civil Commissioner in the state as highly unpopular and would be resisted.
“We, Esan people of Edo Central Senatorial District shall resist and reject attempts directly or by proxy to impose candidates on our people in the forthcoming elections into the state and national assemblies.
“This sad development has been possible by the active collaboration of fifth columnists in Esanland working in tandem with external focus with a view to undermining our collective patrimony.
“One of the greatest pillars of democracy is the inalienable right of the people to choose who leads them and this explains why it is described as ‘government of the people, for the people and by the people’.”
Thus the people were in high expectation when the governor and some of the APC leaders in the area met on that fateful Monday to chart the way forward.
“After the meeting, it became very obvious that nothing has changed and that the party was going ahead with its planned imposition of candidates on the members of the party.
“Expectedly, the people, particularly the youths were not happy and unfortunately instead of heeding wise counsel, decided to ventilate their angers by throwing sachets of water at the governor’s convoy.
“But sadly, instead of our Esan political leaders, making passionate appeals to the governor on the behalf of the youths they decided to make the matter worse by making provocative comments, statements, baseless allegations and blackmails.
“As at the moment, no fewer than 10 Esan youths have been arrested, charged to court and denied bail, even though nobody can genuinely pinpoint at those youths who committed the offence.
“Unfortunately, the situation has created an opportunity for the APC leaders to clamp down on their perceived political enemies. How I wish Governor Obaseki could understand what the so-called APC leaders are doing with the incident.
“APC has always struggle to get outright victory in Esanland and if this situation is not properly handled, I do not need to tell you the negative implications it will have on the party during the forthcoming general elections.
“The PDP members are not only watching as things unfold but they are very happy and have started reaching out to the aggrieved APC members and things will get worse for the APC if care is not taking”, a youth in Irrua who would not want his name in print for fear of arrest, said.
But a source close to the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki confided in The Reliance, saying, “what the Ishan youths did was very wrong and condemnable.
“How can those people raised their hands against the governor who went to visit them? Well, they will learn a bitter lesson from their foolish action because the governor is not somebody to toyed with.
“Already, almost all the APC leaders in the area have condemned the action and dissociated themselves from the uncivilized behaviour of the Ishan youths. By so doing, they have directly and carefully saved themselves from punishment because the action of the youths would have been rightly or wrongly credited to them.
“Governor Obaseki is a no-nonsense man. Those who dared him in the past have had different stories to tell. Those in doubt of what the ‘Wake and See Governor’, can do, should go and ask Bob Izua, Osakpamwan Eriyo, Tony Kabaka, Thugs, Agberoes and CDA chairmen.
“Obaseki as a gentleman believes firmly that if you do anyhow, you see anyhow. So, those youths have behaved anyhow and they shall be treated anyhow”, the source added.
Attack On Obaseki: Edo Youths Fault Magistrate’s Remand Order Of 10 Suspects
Edo State Esan Youths Movement, has faulted the remand order issued by C.A Nwoha, Magistrate sitting in Court II, Benin city, and failure to grant the bail application filed by counsel to the 10 youths who allegedly assaulted Governor Godwin Obaseki at Irrua.
President of Esan Youths Movement, Mr. Kingsley Ohens, at a briefing yesterday in Benin, said ” the 10 youths who were charged to Court yesterday in Benin, on three count charge on misdemeanor offences are: Shamataver Daniel, Chiko Junior, Chiko Pender, Ejobosemele Stanley, Akhilomen Jeffrey, Odia Benson, Jude Malo, William Sunday, Ilenikhena Emmanuel, and Collins Airemiokhale”
He pointed that the youths were accused to have thrown stones at Governor Obaseki on 20th August, 2018, at the All Progressives Congress APC Secretariat at Irrua, in Edo Central senatorial district, Edo State.
Ohens noted that the misdemeanor offences allegedly committed by the youths as boldly stated in the Charge sheet by the Police were bailable under the law and wondered why the Magistrate deliberately refused to grant their bail applications.
The youth leader called on the Attorney General of the Federation, and Chief Judge of Edo State to prevail on the Magistrate C.A Nwoha who swore an oath to discharge her duties without fear or favour to grant the bail application of the youths remanded in Custody.
Re – Attack On Governor Obaseki
It has come to our notice, the Chief Francis Inegbeneki Support Group, (FISG), about a grand plan by some All Progressives Congress, (APC), Leaders and Government officers in Edo state, of a plan to maliciously frame up our Leader, (Chief Francis Inegbeneki), in a cunning way to pitch him against the Governor with the aim to keep him out from contesting the forth coming election having recognised the incontrovertible fact that Chief Inegbeniki is certainly the most popular Esan man for Senatorial contest in 2019.
We condemn in totality the cleverly scripted but pointless plan by the leaders and their accomplices who do not want the progress of our great party and of Esanland.
We state categorically that Chief Francis Inegbeneki is a law abiding citizen and a faithful member of our party, the APC.
We are surprised, and disturbed, that those who are in the party as spies and can not give the party the votes are the so called Leaders looking for ways to disrupt our efforts.
We appeal to our National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, the Governor of Edo State, Dr Godwin Obaseki, and all well meaning party stakeholders to please use their good offices to intervane in this matter.
The Francis Inegbeneki Group, (FISG), totally condemn the attack on the Governor and his entourage at IRRUA by some miscreants who hijacked the peaceful protest by the Youth of Esan Senatorial District.
We hear by appeal to party members to ensure that our imminent party primaries is conducted peacefully without crisis.
We also call on the Leaders and the National Chairman, to please adopt the Direct Primaries option in our Constitution, so that the People can elect their representative to the various positions from the State House of Assembly to the National positions. We need popular candidates who can not only win the election for the party but also help in garnering more votes to deliver the Presidential election for the Party.
We humbly call on the Nigerian Police to fish out those miscreants who may have been hired to soil our amiable leader’s name by attacking the Governor.
Once again we beg everyone member of our great party to let Peace reign.
Signed
*For: Francis Inegbeneki Support Group, (FISG)*
Evans Ilozobhie
President
I Have Nothing To Do With The Attack On Governor Obaseki In Irrua – Ihensekhien
A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress Party in Edo Central Local Government area of Edo State, (APC), Honourable Ken Ihensekhen, has described as baseless, misguided and politically motivated the accusation purportedly made against him by some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Igueben Local Government Area of the state.
Honourable Ken Ihensekhen was allegedly accused by some leaders of the party in Igueben local government of leading the attack on Goodwin Obaseki convoy by some angry youths recently at Irrua, Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State.
Ihensekhen said, “My attention has been drawn to some media reports linking me with the attack on Governor Godwin Obaseki’s convoy by some angry youths recently at Irrua, Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State.
He said, ” To put the record straight, I was present at the meeting with His Excellency, Governor Obaseki at Irrua and those present will attest to the fact that I spoke my mind boldly and sincerely, unlike some of the APC leaders who were not courageous enough to speak their minds, even though they habour serious misgivings in their minds about the APC administration in the state.
According to him, “Such APC leaders instead of burying their heads in shame for behaving as cowards, but have decided to turn around to vilify and blackmail me for speaking my mind.
“Therefore, I wish to state unequivocally that I never at any given time asked or sponsored the person or persons to molest the governor, an action I am totally against.
Furthermore , “I wish to restate that my comments during the meeting with Governor Obaseki was for the interest of our great party and should not be misinterpreted to mean that I dislike the state governor.
He added that, “It is my sincere opinion that we, the APC leaders in Edo Central Senatorial District in particular and the state in general should not pretend about the fact that we need to do more to be able to defeat our opponents in the area during the forthcoming general elections.
Concluding that, ” if some disgruntled leaders of APC have genuine reason to believe that I have hands or that I played any role on the attack on the state governor, they should come up with their facts and evidences or otherwise keep quiet and repent from blackmailing innocent politicians, especially my humble self”, he concluded.

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Kadiri Christopher

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