Posted by By OLA AGBAJE and DOTUN OLUBI on
Unknown to Nigerians, the two leaders of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr Fredrick Fasehun and Otunba Gani Adams, narrowly escaped being victims of the Bellview plane crash in Lisa village on October 22, last year.
Unknown to Nigerians, the two leaders of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr Fredrick Fasehun and Otunba Gani Adams, narrowly escaped being victims of the Bellview plane crash in Lisa village on October 22, last year.
Fasehun, who has just been released on bail after 200 days in incarceration, revealed this to Daily Sun yesterday while calling on President Olusegun Obasanjo to initiate the move to halt all actions on the proposed amendment of the constitution now before the National Assembly.
Reflecting on the events that took place on the day they were moved from Kirikiri Prison to Abuja on the order of the Inspector General of Police, Mr Sunday Ehindero, Fasehun said, "we have cause to thank God that we are still among the living.
"We narrowly missed the Bellview that caught fire mid-air last year. In fact, myself, Gani Adams and other OPC leaders detained narrowly missed death that day. When the security took us to the airport, the Chanchangi aircraft was about to take off.
They quickly alerted the airport officials to stop it and thereafter seven passengers were asked to disembark to pave way for us. Those seven passengers were unfortunately among those who lost their lives in that Bellview aircraft," he said in an emotional voice.
Continuing, Fasehun said: "Imagine what could have happened if myself, Adams and other OPC leaders were in the aircraft which caught fire less than 10 minutes after taking off. Whichever way you look at it, both sides have a lot to thank God for," he said.
The OPC leader who just got his seized passport released by the police 24 hours earlier and is billed to travel to the United States for medical treatment this week, expressed worry about the political situation in the country and urged the leaders to tread with caution so that history would not judge them harshly.
"These are times that strain men's souls. The political temperature is once more grossly overheated. Our country stands at a crossroads with everybody insisting on their own way forward and yet no one appears sure about how to proceed.
"The ruling party is in chaos and other parties are equally factionalised and confused. Even the nation's engine room, the presidency, is divided around its dominant stewards," the septuagenarian lamented.
Fasehun expressed profound gratitude to the Chairman of Daar Communication, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, for securing his bail from custody even when he was never contacted for such unqualified assistance.
He called for the immediate release of all the detained ethnic cause leaders, including Adams, Asari Dokubo, Ralph Uwazuruike and the Hisbah leaders.
According to him, "Asari Dokubo should be released to the traditional rulers in Ijawland; Gani Adams should be handed over to Yoruba leaders; The Hisbah leaders should be handed over to Council of Elders while Ralph Uwazuruike should be handed over to Ohaneze Ndigbo," he said.
He urged the police to tread the path of honour and stop fruitless prosecution of OPC leaders by dropping the charges against them.
Towards a peaceful resolution of the myriad of political crises, Fasehun said the government should go back to the convocation of genuine Sovereign National Conference (SNC) in order to evolve a truly people-oriented constitution.
"The panel-beating on the current constitution has been going on throughout the six-year lifespan of this civilian administration and predictably, there has been no credible result to show for it," he said.
He lamented the conduct of the just concluded national head count which he described as untenable and called for its cancellation. "We cannot plan anything on false demographic data. We have been trying this thing without credible result since 1962. Let us call for the assistance of a neutral body like United Nations to help," he said.