The Immoral & Illegal Behaviors of Gbenga Daniels

Source: huhuonline.com

At a time when Nigeria is undergoing embarrassment over a phantom ailing president housed in an ambulance, the atrocious genocide in Jos, coupled with an oblivious and disgraceful National Assembly, the occurrences around Mr. Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State, further makes a mockery of the already damaged social image of our nation in the eyes of the world! First, it was the illegal dissolution of the Ijebu-East local government while hiding under the crisis in Ijebu Ife. Second, was the news report in the Daily Independent entitled “Daniel's Aides Manhandle Lawyer On Abuja-Lagos Flight,” and now the Punch news report entitled “Ogun govt raises alarm over training of militants in Ijebu,” published on Thursday, March 11, 2010.

ILLEGAL DISSOLUTION OF IJEBU-EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT


Section 7 of the oligo-military Constitution of Nigeria which Gbenga Daniel swore to uphold states that “…the system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this Constitution guaranteed; and accordingly, the Government of every State shall, subject to section 8 of this Constitution, ensure their existence under a Law which provides for the establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of such councils…”


It could be inferred from the above that a democratically elected government can only be removed through impeachment or recall. For Daniel to have ignored the court orders restraining the state government not to dissolve the local government is an aberration. It is on record that I was the only gubernatorial candidate who visited Ijebu-Ife post the crises which devastated the town. I spoke with the indigenes of the city, the wife of the Police Area Commander who was killed during the civil crisis, and those whose shops were burnt but were lucky to be alive. The press even reported the fact that the King of the town threatened to arrest me because of my refusal to prostrate to dignify irresponsibility. The facts presented to me did not indict the Chairman of the local government, Mr. Tunde Oladunjoye. As a matter of fact, when the incident occurred, Daniel's first choice was to implicate Speaker Oladimeji Bankole. It was the refusal of Mr. Oladunjoye to be an accomplice in that bid to implicate Speaker Bankole and the bold exposure of the illicit activities of Gbenga Daniel that became the catalyst for the plan to impeach Mr. Oladunjoye. After that failed, Daniel illegally dissolved the council to punish the councilmembers for their refusal to be pawns in his dirty plan to finger Speaker Bankole and to impeach the Council Chairman.


Also, if it was arguably perhaps rational for Daniel to dissolve the Ijebu-East local government because of the crisis in Ijebu-Ife, would it have been equally rational for the Federal government and the public to indict Ogun State government for inaction on the part of Daniel's government when the armed robbery incidence took place in Ijebu-Ode, in which a truck mowed down 19 innocent people? Daniel's administration was dead silent until the Senate in Abuja ordered an investigation, and yet, Daniel claims to be the best governor in Nigeria. Suffice it to say this is not the first time there has been an occurrence in Ogun State, and the Chief Security Officer has no known plans to prevent similar incidents in the future. If Daniel's misrule is our yardstick for measuring good governance in Nigeria, then we are all doomed.

DANIEL'S AIDES MAN-HANDLE LAWYER ON ABUJA-LAGOS FLIGHT


The report in the Daily Independent that Daniel's Aides manhandled a lawyer who sat in his (the lawyer's) assigned seat in the business class of an IRS aircraft from Abuja is a disgrace to Nigeria as the news makes round worldwide. If for security reasons, Daniel did not want anyone to sit beside him, common sense dictates that he should have had the airline reserve seats for all his security personnel including his ADC to enable them sit close to him. So, it would follow that the seat beside him should have been reserved for his ADC. As was reported, Daniel acted like a demi-God who would not even allow his own security aides to sit close to him because of his class mentality.


The fact that Daniel sat by and watched his aides manhandled a fellow passenger, and then allowed his security aides to hand over the passenger to the police upon their arrival in Lagos without cautioning them made him an accessory to assault. It further reveals the violent innate character of Daniel and put to shame all that celebrated him years ago as a gentleman. Since he is the beneficiary of the assault, I urge Barrister Greg Osu to pursue “vicarious liability” in the court of law for the unbridled display of impunity by Daniel's uncouth so-called security aides.


Nigerians must also learn from this occurrence that when rulers do not depend on their votes to get to power, there would be no respect for them. This is why we must not celebrate those who stole ballot boxes, gunned down oppositions and then went to Church to thank God. To this end, I apologize to Barrister George Osu on behalf of Ogun State. I am sorry that he sat beside a shameless Governor whose mindset is apparently characteristic of someone with dementia. Citizens of Ogun State are embarrassed by such a man who imposed himself on the people of Ogun State as governor. I also urge Mr. Osu to sue the airline for breach of contract and Ogun State government for the harassing behavior of Daniel's aides. The fact that someone is a governor does not empower him to treat others with disrespect and indignity.


It was a week ago that Daniel and his PDP goons issued a threat against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to dare to come to Ogun State. This despicable threat is not only disturbing but exhibited undue arrogation of powers into the members of the PDP. God forbid any violent act against Asiwaju Tinubu, how would Daniel and his PDP gangsters absolve themselves? Daniel's threats against lives and properties have also been extended to the interests of Journalists in Ogun State. This threat is unequivocally denounced because if Journalists cannot write freely and truthfully, the public would have to be misled by the propaganda machine of the state. I therefore call on the public and opinion leaders to join me in condemning State-sponsored terrorism in Ogun State before it claims yet another life.

OGUN GOVERNMENT RAISES ALARM OVER TRAINING OF MILITANTS IN IJEBU


The State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Sina Kawonise, at a press conference in Abeokuta, alleged that the government is aware of the sponsors of the illegal training of militants in Ijebu which he claim was intended to be used as a ploy to cause trouble and thereby present the state as insecure. Kawonise declined to name the alleged sponsors, for reasons best known to him, but he pretends to caution and sensitize the public about the supposed presence of this alleged dangerous group.


However, I sympathize with Kawonise, a demonstrably highly unscrupulous individual only tapped because of his innate character of mediocrity. On resumption of duty, Kawonise had denied that the EFCC froze the account of Ijebu-East local government. But his denial was confirmed to be false by Mr. Femi Babafemi of the EFCC. Shouldn't we expect our leader to be able to speak simple truth? Reacting Reacting to the Court of Appeal judgment on the election stolen by Gbenga Daniel, Kawonise also called the opposition liars, when Kawonise himself witnessed the snatching of ballot boxes in April of 2007.I can only pray for him that he would not end up in a situation worse than his predecessors. From all indications, it is obvious that Kawonise is only upholding the saying that only a mad man can serve a mad man. For those that kill with sword will die by the sword.


In a society where the leaders and the elected respect the citizens, a prudent Commissioner would have announced the action of his government to nip in the bud the activities of the alleged militants that are supposedly about to engage in disturbance of the public peace, in order to assure the members of the public that there is a government in place. Since his government knows the sponsors, if any evidence exists, such evidence should have been turned to the appropriate authority for action. If militants are being trained in my State and I know the location, as a governor, I am empowered to move in and have them arrested before the peace of the state is threatened. I would only address a press conference after the arrest. The fact that this Commissioner only alerts the public without assuring the public of any action from the government he serves suggests that Daniel is once again at his 'evil genius' orchestration to harass and intimidate opposition in Ogun State.


For the love of God and mankind, this is not government. This is government from hell and it is about time for people to stand up and demand more form their rulers Ogbeni Lanre Banjo

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