8th July, 2011
There was protest today outside the Ogun State House of Assembly over the nomination of caretaker committee chairmen in some local government areas of the state.
P.M.NEWS learnt that protesters from Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu North and Yewa North local government areas blocked the nomination of caretaker chairmen of their councils.
According to the protesters, Governor Ibikunle Amosun was imposing the candidates on them.
Our correspondent gathered that the people of Ijebu-Ode Local Government are not happy with the nomination of Alhaji Raheem Sanusi, insisting that their favoured candidate is Miss Bukky Onabanjo, the daughter of the first civilian governor of Ogun State, the late Chief Olabisi Onabanjo.
One of the protesters, who simply identified herself as ‘Mama-a-seese’, said what the governor had done may spell doom for the party in Ijebu-Ode area and the state in general.
“Bukky Onabanjo was earlier nominated. The people are happy that a woman will be given a chance to become a council boss. But suddenly, they removed her name and substituted it with that of the former chairman of the All Nigerian People’s Party, ANPP in Ijebu Ode,†the woman activist said.
In the case of Ijebu North council, the chairmanship nominee, Mr. Kunle Ogundana was chased away from the premises of the House of Assembly by an angry mob.
The protesters claimed that the nominee is not the people’s choice, that he is a member of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
All efforts by the police to release the nominee from the grip of the mob proved abortive. The people stood their ground that they would not allow Ogunlana to be sworn-in as the caretaker committee chairman of the local government.
As for Yewa North, the protesters claimed that the name of Moses Adegbite was sent but surprisingly, Mr. Kunle Elegbede’s name was mentioned in the House.
A source at the House Assembly told P.M.NEWS that there will be no screening but the nominees have been told to submit 30 copies of their curriculum vitae, at Room 21J at the Assembly complex.
The nominees are expected to be sworn-in later today by Governor Amosun at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta.
The women among the protesters were angry that there is no woman in the list of the 20 chairmanship nominees despite the commendable efforts put up by women in supporting the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN during the last election.
—Biodun Onafuye/Abeokuta