Posted by By Osaro Okhomina on
FIRST civilian Governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Oredo Federal Constituency, Mr. Emmanuel Arigbe-Osula have blamed the escape of Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha of Bayelsa State from London on the Federal Government, saying the President Olusegun Obasanjo-led administration's shoody handling of the issue provoked the desperate action of the Bayelsa Governor.
BENIN CITY - FIRST civilian Governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Oredo Federal Constituency, Mr. Emmanuel Arigbe-Osula have blamed the escape of Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha of Bayelsa State from London on the Federal Government, saying the President Olusegun Obasanjo-led administration's shoody handling of the issue provoked the desperate action of the Bayelsa Governor.
While Chief Odigie-Oyegun accepted that though the action of the Bayelsa Governor was a sad one and a temporary relief, the shoddy handling of the arrest and bail restriction efforts through the Minister of Justice created the impression that the Federal Government's interest was based on selective indictment, Arigbe-Osula said the undue intervention of the Federal Government and the self-induced pursuit by the President to score another anti-corruption point created a desperate option for the Governor and has rubbished the nation among the comity of nations.
Chief Odigie-Oyegun and Arigbe-Osula spoke seperately to Vanguard yesterday in Benin City on the escape of the Bayelsa Governor from London.
According to Oyegun, "I must say that the whole situation is a sad one. I don't see the action in any way except to say it is a temporary one for the Governor. Secondly, we have not heard about the wife and what happened to her. I am not sure we got the moral right to doubt some things. Having said that, there is no doubt that the Federal Government has totally mishandled the whole affair.
"It is now so clear that there is a large element of vindictiveness in the matter as it relates to the attitude of the Federal Government and I cannot understand why a whole Minister of Justice went to London to assist the Metrolpolitan Police.
"Since the Governor's return, there have been many voices from the Federal Government's camp saying all sorts of things because they knew the whole matter was mishandled and the unorthodox way the Governor returned has dealt a very devastating blow on the nation. Our pride and the little respect we had before comity of Nations. It is sad."
But Arigbe-Osula in his reaction noted said "we know as members of the South-South that some of these Governos have not lived up to their political responsibility but the action of the Minister of Justice is a clear case that has turned the Bayelsa Governor into a desperate person.
'First of all, it is a shame that the Justice Minister acted in such a reckless manner in London and by the action, he has served as a prosecuting witness. I have no problem with the prosecution of such person but the action of the Federal Government heightened the situation to a desperate one. The action of the Federal Government showed that the cases of the anti-corruption campaign is selective."