Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call on Adams Oshiomhole to desist from alleged acts of impunity.
He stated this in a statement on Monday, while accusing the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Oshiomhole, of ignoring security protocol during visits to Edo State.
In the statement released by his media aide, Crusoe Osagie, Obaseki warned that his administration should not be held responsible should Oshiomhole begin to reap the consequences of his unruly behavior.
According to Osagie, the APC chairman visited the state on Saturday and caused “sudden tension in Benin metropolis which resulted in large, unruly crowds gathering in strategic points and military personnel shooting sporadically, thrusting the city into pandemonium”.
Noting that the state government did not have prior notice of the visit and that Oshiomhole was supposed to have informed the government as well as other relevant authorities of his visit Osagie said:
“It is unfortunate that a former Governor who should understand basic security and protocol standards will willfully and repeatedly violate them and cause tension and severe threat to public safety and security,” he said.
“A few months ago, when Comrade Oshiomhole caused tension in the state due to the same behavior, we had reported formally to the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Services about the avoidable carnage, destruction of property and severe injuries to many persons as well as general unrest which resulted from Comrade Oshiomhole’s abuse of protocol and his penchant for crisis and violence.
“Apparently, Comrade Oshiomhole has continuously defied all efforts by security agencies across the country, including the Inspector General of Police, and the Department of State Services (DSS), among others, to ensure peace, therefore posing severe threat not only to Edo State but the country at large.
“We, however, want to warn that since Oshiomhole has decided to carry on with his character of impunity, disrespect for processes and continuous stirring of crisis and disruption of peace in the state, the Edo State Government would not be responsible when he reaps the consequences of his unruly behavior.”
Osagie asked President Muhammadu Buhari and security agencies in the country to “prevail on Comrade Oshiomhole to discontinue these acts of impunity, in the interest of ordinary law-abiding Edo people”.
