SEQUEL to the attacks on journalists during the state congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, the Senator representing Ondo North Senatorial District, Prof. Ajayi Boroffice, has commiserated with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Boroffice, who paid a sympathy visit to journalists at the Correspondent Chapel, Akure, yesterday, decried the attacks and brutality of media personnel by some thugs, describing it as highest level of incivility.
According to him, “I was grieved in my heart, I was very upset. It is unfortunate that we are witnessing what happened on Saturday in Ondo State. Ondo State is supposed to be one of the informed states politically in the country.
“And in the political evolution stream, one does not expect what happened on Saturday to have happened in Ondo State. It’s just very sad and unfortunate.”
He lauded the media practitioners in the state for their ethical standards and commitment to their works, assuring them that the reigns of impunity and terror against journalists would soon end.
“What are clear in my mind is that the days of tyranny in Ondo State are numbered; the days of impunity are numbered and we all look forward to that time when you as the eyes and ears of the public would be able to operate fully without any intimidation.
“Any society that suppresses and intimidates journalists is also spelling its own doom. Eventually, it will find itself walking as a deaf, dumb and blind community. Those who perpetrated this heinous crime, they know themselves; we know some of them.
“Some of them are out of town now as I am speaking because of fear, but you remain where you are because you have operated on truth in the post of your calling.”
The Senate Committee Chairman on Science and Technology, Boroffice, stressed that “every civilized society, even at war, respects journalists. That’s why you see even at warfront; in Syria and other places, journalists are accorded some recognition and respect by both warring sides.”
This, he hinged on the fact that, “they know you are in a noble profession and there to tell the truth and tell the public what is happening as they are. But here we are in just state politics and you are being intimidated, being brutalized; it is unfortunate.”
The Senator urged the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner for Police to investigate the the attack on journalists, insisting that “when the perpetrators are found, they should be punished because this will serve as deterrent even to others.
“If this is not done, it becomes very dangerous for us as a state and as a nation where journalists cannot practise their profession without intimidation. The violence meted on you was uncalled for.
“You have not even given any report, so you cannot be accused of giving false report or fake report or adverse report. You were just at the venue of an event which had been brought to the attention of the police, DSS and other law enforcement agents.
“So, it was not an illegal event. For this to have happened, it is very unfortunate,” he said.
For the record, a faction of the APC in the state had their parallel congress at BTO Hall, along Ilesa Garage, Akure, but was disrupted by suspected thugs, who destroyed properties worth millions of naira and inflicted bodily harm on the members.
Our reporter recounted that while the accreditation exercise was going on around 10:00am, some persons suspected to be members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) invaded the venue in a grand commando style.
They blocked the dual road carriage at the front of the hall, burning tyres and causing traffic gridlock in the axis while the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) officers were watching haplessly as the thugs went on rampage, unhindered.
The thugs, numbering about 100, pounced on members of the faction with sticks, cudgels, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons, hurling stones at the building and forced their way into the hall to destroy the ballot boxes.
The Federal House of Representatives member representing Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency, Bamidele Baderinwa, the Commissioner for Regional Integration, Osun State, Bola Ilori, Tolu Babaleye, Idowu Otetubi, to mention few, were attacked and manhandled by the thugs.
The Publicity Secretary of the faction, Mr. Leye Akinola was matcheted and rushed to a nearby hospital in the metropolis, while the Federal Lawmaker, Baderinwa, was stripped naked and beaten to pulp in the presence of the security agencies.
Some journalists, Sunkanmi Elujoba of Adaba FM, Damisi Ojo of the Nation, Bamigbola Gbolagunte and the state chairman of the NUJ, James Sowole were brutally harassed, while others who had gone to cover the event, ran for cover.
All these happened at the popular event centre, BTO, which is few metres away from the Area Commander Office and the Okuta Elerinla Police Station as no single arrest was made or resistance against the invasion.
Whereas the APC faction loyal to the state government held its congress at the International Events and Culture Centre (The Dome), where 1,015 delegates were expected but only 1,001 delegates were accredited to vote for the party’s state executives.
The chairman of APC 5-man committee, Mr. Matthew Omegara, lauded the party for its maturity and peaceful manner which the congress was conducted, contrary to his presuppositions.
“When we were coming, we were sceptical of what we were going to meet,” he said, attributing the peace to the unity in the party, “I don’t think there is any space for any party to exist in Ondo State.”
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who identified and declared all the delegates as legitimate members of the party, said “there is no way in any human endeavour that you can have perfection. It is not possible.
“The only perfect being is God. Therefore, I want to take responsibility for whatever happens here. If anybody sits at any other place, he or she is counterfeit.”
Akeredolu urged the party members to embrace the sportsmanship spirit and take whatever happened in good fate, using his experience as an illustration for failing the ministerial bid but later got the governorship seat.
“Whatever that happens here or whatever has happened in your ward, let us take it with equanimity. God has plans for us. Why are we worried? Whatever will be will be. Your own time, if it is not today, it will come.”
The Polity reported that only the South District senator, Pastor Yele Omogunwa and two Federal House of Representatives member were at the Dome, others were conspicuously absent from the congress.
The former state Acting Chairman of the party, Engr. Ade Adetimehin was the sole candidate for the state chairmanship position, but was elected with 990 votes, while 11 votes kicked against him.
Adetimehin and Mr. Adesina Alaye emerged as the state chairman and secretary respectively, alongside other 35 other positions were elected unopposed.
The other faction, whose congress was disrupted in the morning, regrouped themselves in Igbara-Oke, the headquarters of Ifedore LGA and elected Otetubi as the factional chairman.
—
Akingboye Joseph Oluwaseun
