of Edo State and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Muhammed
Adoke, nearly exchanged blows inside the Council Chambers before the
commencement of Tuesday’s Council of State meeting while arguing over the
handling of the prosecution of Oshiomhole’s late aide’s murder case.
Trouble started when Adoke approached the governor
and apparently joked about the wrongful referral to him by Edo State Attorney
General on the ongoing prosecution of suspects in the murder of Olaitan
Oyerinde, the Principal Private Secretary to the governor who was shot dead by
assailants last year in Benin City.
Oshiomhole took exception to Adoke’s statement as
he argued that the matter was referred by the Police to the AGF contrary to the
claim by Adoke.
The governor who rose to his feet from where he
was seated, charged at the AGF and had to be restrained by the Chief of Staff
to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe and Delta State governor, Emmanuel
Uduaghan. Oshiomhole accused Adoke of not showing reverence to the office of
the governor.
The situation resulted into a heated argument with
both men trying to outdo each other as the council members including former
Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, former President Shehu Shagari and fomer
Chairman of Interim National Government (ING), Chief Ernest Shonekan, waited
for the arrival of President Goodluck Joanthan.
Speaking to State House correspondents later,
Oshiomhole explained that he was angry because Adoke had trivialized a murder
case that he (the governor) was committed to unravelling, adding that if the
AGF could not respect him as an individual, he should respect the office he
occupies because he was duly elected, unlike him that was appointed.
He noted that Adoke was wrong to question the
competence of Edo State Attoney-General, when in fact the case was referred to
him by a Deputy Inspector-General of Police.
According to him “The issue is that he was saying
my Attorney General should have known what to do, that he has nothing to do
with the matter. And I simply asked him who referred the matter to him? Was it
my attorney general?
“The matter was referred to him by the Deputy
Inspector General of Police. And I asked him who should know better, if the
Deputy Inspector General of Police refers a matter that he ought to have
referred to the state, he chose to refer it to the Federal Attorney General,
who is the one dragging him into the matter? Who is the one politicising the
matter?
“Should we assume that a DIG did not know that
that offence of murder is a state offence? And if he knew it was a state
offence, why did he refer it to the Federal Attorney General. And I said if he
has any complain, he should complain to to the DIG who referred the case to
him. And of course, the rest you witnessed.
“In any event, we are dealing with a factual issue.
If a case was wrongly referred to the Federal Attorney General by the Nigerian
police, who is to blame?
“In any event, we also complained that this matter
ought to have been referred to Edo State DPP not federal because it is a state
offense, committed in Edo State.
“I mean you know, it is like a case of a he-goat
when the family is happy, they sacrifice the he-goat to celebrate. When the
child is ill, the native doctor says sacrifice the he-goat so that the child
will get better. So, head or tail the he-goat is in trouble.
“Here I am, my Private Secretary was killed and
nobody seems to bother. I am doing my best to raise the issue because
that is the least I owe to someone who gave his life, and someone else who does
not think life is important. For him it is a matter to trivialize and joke
about.
“When it comes to death I don’t joke, you don’t
joke with life and death. The essence of governance is to protect lives and
property, that is fundamental, even in poverty, people need to feel safe and
secured.
“Nobody has a right under our constitution to take
the life of another, except if it has been confirmed by a court of competent
jurisdiction. I was surprised that for the Attorney-General, it is something he
can afford to joke with, telling me that my Attorney- General didn’t know what
to do.”
Also reacting in a chat with State House
reporters, Adoke denied that he had showed lack of respect for the governor,
saying “I will not disregard his office, he is my personal friend, I have the
highest respect for him. He is a governor of this country but I will not join
issues with him.
“I did not trivialise his office and I have no
reason to trivialise his office. He is at liberty as a governor in this country
to say whatever he wants to say but I will accord his office the highest
respect and I will not join issues with him.”
