By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has told the state Coordinator of Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu not to get him involved in the crisis between him and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, youths in the state who accused him of diverting N1.5 billion meant for the youths when the campaign train of President Goodluck Jonathan visited the state last week.

The protesting PDP youths had vowed to continue the protest until the money was made available to them before some leaders of the party waded into the matter to calm the youths, assuring that no such money was provided.

In his reaction, Ize-Iyamu had accused Governor Oshiomhole and the All Progressives Congress, APC, of fuelling the crisis with a view to destabilising the PDP before the forthcoming general elections.

Oshiomhole, who reacted while receiving PDP defectors into the APC in Oredo, said: “I watched on television the protest by PDP youths asking for their money from Pastor. N3,000 each was budgeted for the youths but they were given N500. The youths now said Pastor cannot be building new estates and leave them hungry, so he must produce the money.

“Rather than Ize-Iyamu addressing the issue of the missing money, because I am not a PDP member, he was saying that the allegation was an attempt by political opponents to discredit him and he was mentioning my name. Please he should leave me out of his problem and settle the boys. As I was watching him on TV, he agreed that money came, but he refused to disclose how much he received.

“No genuine pastor can be a politician. The boys said this pastor has been using them but today they will tell him we are not fools. These PDP people believe everybody is a fool. A party that can even defraud the poor has no conscience and that is why they cannot know peace because you cannot have peace without justice and fairness.”