Former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Written by Idowu Samuel
A member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Fatimat Raji -Rasaki, has urged political leaders in the country to desist from making statements capable of inciting the Nigerian public, most especially the youths, towards committing violent activities before and during the 2011 general elections.
The legislator made the plea in response to a statement credited to the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that the electorate should be up in arms against anyone who may stand on their way during the coming elections.
Rasaki said such statement was uncharitable, coming from an elderstatesman like Tinubu, stressing that it was high time political leaders learnt from past experiences in Nigeria in which case politics was played with deep seated bitterness, which she said ultimately led to arson, vandalism and general chaos across Nigeria.
She said as a former governor of Lagos State, Tinubu could never have forgotten the barbaric acts committed by politicians using thugs and local militias during the first and second republics, during which periods she recalled Nigeria lost great men and women whom she said were murdered in cold blood on pure political vendetta by opponents.
She also recalled that the first two republics in Nigeria were replete with gory stories of destruction of properties owned by perceived opposition members in the (South Western States) Western Region now, mostly the old Ondo State where she hails from.
According to her, the properties so destroyed included big industries, farmlands, shops, hotels, petrol stations, government properties and others which she recalled wrecked havoc on the economy of the states so affected in the Western region.
“I was a very sad victim of the breakdown of law and order in the first and second republics. It started in the early 60s with operation wetie in the Western Region when political opponents almost killed my father, Chief M. A. Obayemi. He escaped and went on exile until democracy returned in 1978,” she said.
Source: http://www.tribune.com.ng/
0 Feedback:
Post a Comment