Confab: Controversy Over Ozekhome’s Removal From Delegates List -By Patrick Ochoga March 12, 2014 Tempers are rising in Edo State among the elders and youths over the removal of the name of constitutional lawyer and human rights activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), from the list of delegates from the state to the forthcoming national conference and his replacement with (former) PDP Senator Yisa Braimoh on the list. The Afemai people in the Edo North senatorial district of the state under the umbrella of Kukuruku Youth Renaissance Network (KUKNET), in a statement signed by their president, Theophilus Ibodeme, and secretary-general, Tony Igiebor, which was made available to newsmen yesterday in Benin, questioned what Senator Braimoh could do to promote and protect the interest of Afemai ethnic nationality at the conference. They vowed never to fold their arms and watch their competent unanimous choice of Chief Mike Ozekhome exchanged illegally with the former senator. The people observed that “the national conference was not a tea party where all manner of persons congregate “but a conference for intellectuals and sound minds with positive records who know their onions to brainstorm, harmonise ideas and deliver.” Members of the group said on no account would the Afemai people be cowed to accept Yisa Braimoh to illegally represent them at the conference. “Kukuruku Youth Renaissance Network (KUKNET) unanimously says no to Senator Yisa Braimoh’s illegal inclusion to represent Afemai ethnic nationality. “We want quality, credible and competent representation in the forthcoming national conference – a square peg in a square hole – and not a man who slept when it mattered most in the Senate to the detriment of the good people of Afemai for four years (2007-2011),” they stated. They also wondered who must have nominated Senator Braimoh as against the due process followed in the nomination of all the other delegates from the three senatorial zones of the state. The people passed a vote of no confidence on Senator Braimoh and, therefore, called for the immediate reversal of the illegality, stressing that “No man, no matter how highly placed can dictate in his bedroom who represents Afemai ethnic nationality. We are wise enough, civilised enough and educated enough to decide for ourselves what we want and who we want.” Copies of the statement were sent to the state governor, office of the secretary to the state government, members of the National Assembly from the state and those of the state House of Assembly, civil society organisations, the SSS, commissioner of police, NUJ, and other relevant bodies. -[LEADERSHIP]
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 09:11:34 +0000
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