By Emeka Mamah
National Union of Textile and Garment Workers, NUTGW, has blamed weekend’s auto crash involving the convoy of Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State on the opposition. The accident had led to the death of three journalists.

The union alleged that the lorry deliberately veered off its track and faced the governor’s convoy frontally.

Astatement by the General Secretary of the union, Mr. Issa Aremu, read in part: “We read, with great shock, about the unprovoked, orchestrated attack on Comrade Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole.

Oshiomhole’s convoy was attacked at the weekend along the Warrake–Auchi road. Three journalists were reported killed with many others injured, including security details.

“A suicidal lorry deliberately veered off its track, faced the governor’s staff car and missed it by the whiskers. It later rammed into the vehicles conveying the security details and Government House press crew.

“This tragic event came after a similar cyber-orchestrated criminal personal attack and open threat on Oshiomhole by the opposition over his so-called mansions.

“We condemn personalisation of political discourse. We need contests on policies and issues rather than attack on persons. On issues, it is common knowledge that Comrade Oshiomhole, since assumption of office as governor, has tried to re-invent Edo State particularly in areas of education, health, infrastructural development, roads and rural development.

“We need battle of ideas and not personal attacks. Attack on any one on the basis of one’s political affiliation is an attack on all Nigerians and must be resisted.

“We convey our heartfelt sympathy to Governor Oshiomhole and the families of the journalists who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident. We also register our solidarity with the Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola over alleged threat by some politicians to ‘attack, stop and disarm’ his convoy.”

…as OPC condemns attacks on media houses
BY abdulwahab abdalah
LAGOS— Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, has commiserated with the Nigerian media over last Thursday’s explosion that rocked the Abuja office of ThisDay, and Kaduna offices of the The Sun and Moment newspapers. In a statement by its founder, Dr. Frederick Fasehun, the Yoruba socio-cultural group condemned the attacks.

Fasehun prayed God to give them the grace to bear the loss.

He said: “Any attack on the media and journalists amounted to endangering the very soul of the Nigerian nation because the press had, before and after Nigeria’s independence, proved a consistent chronicler, guardian and watchdog of issues, personalities and trends in the country.”

Fasehun, however, appealed to the media not to be cowed by the bomb attacks from “enemies of free speech and freedom of information.”

He urged those involved to learn from the current travails of former Liberian President, Charles Taylor, who was recently found guilty by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.