A former Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has said that he had a very good laugh when he learnt that his successor, Godwin Obaseki, ordered his arrest.
Oshiomhole made this known while speaking with journalists in Edo state on Friday.
Recall that Obaseki called on security agencies to nab his predecessor in a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare.
The governor accused Oshiomhole of mobilising thugs to vandalise banks and disrupt the peace of the state over the naira scarcity.
“At this stage, we call on security agencies to arrest Adams Oshiomhole for questioning and to account for his movement, especially here in Benin City in the last few days. He deliberately instigated the protest of the people,” the statement read in part.
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Reacting to the statement, Oshiomhole said, “When I read initially on social media… that Obaseki has ordered the police to arrest me, I had a very good laugh.
“First, because Obaseki doesn’t know that he doesn’t have the power to order the arrest of a citizen. And that’s the reason why some people have reservations about what people like Obaseki talk about state police.”
Oshiomhole, who is the APC senatorial candidate in Edo North, said the duties of investigating a person of interest and arresting a suspect lie solely with the security agencies.
“The police have not – and I would be surprised if they have now – generated to the level of taking orders from a politician who is faced with a crisis of confidence and the people are revolting against him,” he said.
The APC chieftain added, “A governor or a leader must be able to win the hearts of his people and talk them out of bitterness, and above all, give them hope that whatever are the challenges that they face, the government is in a position to do something about it. This is what the government should do.”
He said that protests were a democratic way for people to express their grievances but condemned the riots that ensued in the state over the naira scarcity.
“I believe Nigerians have a right to protest against anything that they are not happy about. But I also want Nigerians to understand that there’s a huge difference between protest and rioting.
“The problem of rioting is like shooting a gun into a market: you don’t know who it will hit. But when you peacefully decide to protest, that is what distinguishes a free people from slaves,” he said.
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