By SIMON EBEGBULEM
BENIN—THE Catholic Women Organisation, CWO, Auchi Diocese, Edo State, yesterday, protested the killing of the President of the organisation in Dagbala, Akoko Edo Local Government Area of the state, Mrs Catherine Aliu, during the primaries of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. They called on Governor Adams Oshiomhole to set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the killing.

It will be recalled that three persons were reportedly killed during the last week’s state and National Assembly primaries of the ACN. It was learnt that Mrs Aliu was shot dead when armed thugs invaded the polling booth while she was about voting for a candidate of her choice during the primaries.

Addressing newsmen, yesterday, in Auchi, the President of the CWO, Auchi Catholic Diocese, Mrs. Carolyn Sumanu, attributed the murder to what she described as the desperation of unpopular aspirants in the ACN to pick the ticket and appealed to Governor  Oshiomhole to ensure that the matter was not swept under the carpet.

According to her, “Her death pains us but what worries us more is the state of terrorism that politicians are turning our societies into. Several men of God, including our Bishop, hoping for a constructive political future had called on Christians to be actively involved in the political processes in our respective parishes.

“This, we dutifully obeyed but little did we know that the rhetorics of one-man one-vote, no more god-fatherism, let the people lead, were mere political carrots to attract innocent electorates to the guillotine.  What we saw in Akoko-Edo on that black Wednesday, was like hell let loose,” she added.

“If this could happen during party primaries, when members of the same party, pretentiously seeking to serve will maim themselves, what will then happen when they face opponents from other political parties during elections?” she queried.

The women who demanded that culprits be fished out and dealt with according to the law, also called for the disqualification of the three aspirants who stood for the primaries last Wednesday. “The three aspirants should be disqualified because we do not want to celebrate violence or violent people, the aspirants should be replaced with aspirants with good history and pedigree.

They also demanded that the Edo government pay compensation to the family of late Mrs. Catherine Aliu.

Meanwhile, the Bishop of Auchi Catholic Diocese, Bishop Gabriel Dunia has appealed to the women to be calm and go about their normal duties.  He admonished that “ do not be deterred go and ensure that you all participate in the on going voters registration exercise so that you will be able to cast your votes for a candidate of your choice in the general elections”.