The recent visit of some Leaders of Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, to the embattled former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel in his home has continued to generate reactions from well meaning individuals from within and outside Yorubaland. The visit took place shortly after Daniel was released on bail by the Ogun State High Court sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta.? Daniel is facing a 16-count charge by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Chief Reuben Fasoranti, led Chief Ayo Adebanjo; Sir Olaniwun Ajayi; former Minister of Finance, Chief Olu Falae and Chief Kole Omololu to Daniel. Other notable Yoruba leaders on the delegation included:? Ayo Adebanjo; Seinde Arowogbofa; Pekun Awobona; Lanre Omisore and Dayo Duyile among others. Fasoranti, who spoke on behalf of members after a meeting that lasted for about four and a half hours, said that they were satisfied with Daniel’s defence.
He explained that they were on a fact-finding mission to ascertain the allegations preferred against the ex-governor and warned against the trend of media trial of alleged corruption cases, saying it could damage “innocent people’s reputation.”
He described Daniel as a forthright leader, saying the delegation was satisfied with his explanation on his innocence and would wait for the determination of his ongoing trial by the judiciary.
While urging Nigerians to refrain from making prejudicial statements and actions until suspects are proved guilty, the Afenifere leader expressed optimism that the former governor would overcome his travails. Fasoranti said the issue was over dramatised, stressing that having listened to the former governor’s explanation during the meeting, the group was convinced he will come out of his travails clean.
Fasoranti stated that, Daniel’s records in the last eight years as the governor of the state was commendable, pointing out that Afenifere would stand by him throughout the trial, emphasizing that nobody should be condemned until found guilty.
“He did very well in his eight years rule as governor; he is faithful, am sure he will come out free, we shall stand by him and wait for court ruling; you don’t condemn a man until he is found guilty”
Fasoranti emphasized.
Apart from speaking with Journalists after the visit, the elders also signed a communiqué saying, “we have listened to him we are satisfied with what we have heard, we advised that we should all be fair in our actions by waiting to hear from both sides before rushing to judgment, after all, the principle is that a man is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved.”
Reacting to the visit, the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) condemned the actions of Fashoranti group, accusing them of setting a bad precedence. The spokesman of the group, Yinka Odumakin who spoke in Abeokuta where he had come to represent the Vice Presidential Candidate of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Pastor Tunde
Bakare said the leaders should have waited for the judgement before embarking on the visit. Odumakin was in Abeokuta to represent Bakara at a function organized by the Nigeria Union of Journalists Paramount FM, Chapel.
Odumakin believed that with the actions of the so called elders, what they seem to be telling the younger ones was: “You go and steal, and we will give you solidarity”. He added that the visit was seriously done in bad light. “There is this question of morality and value. Elders are supposed to be custodians of truth. Elders should not intervene when a case is still in court. If there should be any visit, it should be from Daniel to explain what is going on and not from the elders”.
“I am not saying that Daniel is guilty; the elders should allow the judiciary to run its course. If he is pronounced innocent, the elders can then speak. What they are doing now sets bad precedence and sends wrong message to the young ones that when they grow up and anything goes wrong, they could expect elders to show solidarity.”
Perhaps what ARG forgot was that Daniel was arrested by EFCC while attending a programme put together by the group at Ikenne, Ogun State. While there had been widespread condemnations from the group for the visit, the reverse was the case for his aides and politicians.
They expressed their loyalty to him. They were led by the former Association of Local Government of Nigeria, Ogun State Chapter, John Obafemi. Others in the entourage include; Babatunde Adesina; Remi Odubote-Ogunkoya; Albert Asipa; Abayomi Tella; Isikilu Makinde; Tiwalade Shobo; Kayode Akintunde; Sikirulai Ogundele; Daisi Akintan and Wale Oshiyemi.
The former chairmen all expressed their support and loyalty to their former boss, adding that despite all odds, they are optimistic that he would laugh last and come out victorious from the trial.
Also in the train of solidarity were the former commissioners in the cabinet of the ex-governor. Among them are, the former commissioner for local government, Aare Tunde Alabi; former Secretary to the state government Adegbemi Onakoya; the immediate past Commissioner for Works, Prince Segun Adekoya and the former Commissioner for Health, Mr. Isiaq Salako.? Alabi who spoke with newsmen on behalf of his other colleagues after the meeting said the charges against Daniel were not only frivolous but vindictive.
“What is happening to our boss is nothing but political vindictiveness which arose from his political enemies. We are a political family and we are here to solidarize with Otunba Daniel who is our former boss and will remain our boss.? We are shocked at his trial because when providence brought him into power in the state, he did his best,’’ he said.
Alabi who said Daniel was the first governor to declare his assets spoke on the alleged illegal deductions said to have been made from the allocations of local governments by Daniel, saying nothing of such alleged deduction was made by the former governor.
“The system we operated when we were there was very straight-forward. The fund would come from Abuja and the fund is domiciled in the Ministry of Finance. So, it is being well controlled by the ministry of finance. All we do in that ministry (local government) is just to share on the allocation paper and all the local governments chairmen were always there, the kabiyesis were there, retirees, permanent secretaries, commissioners, etc.” he added.
Meanwhile the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun state said daniel should be prosecuted in accordance with the law. The Secretary of the party in the state,? Adepegba? Otemolu ,? who spoke? with? journalists? in his office in Abeokuta cautioned the officials of the EFCC? on what he called media interference in the matter, saying, the commission should not give an impression that an accused? person is? guilty once he has not? been convicted by court of jurisdiction.
According to Otemolu “it? is an allegation that has not been proved. But if it is proved, nobody can assist him. But since it is an allegation, we will wait until it is proved.
“They still have to let our` people know that once somebody is invited by EFCC, you don’t just start? accusing? the person? or making people have the belief that such a`? person has committed the offence alleged.
“As far as? I am concerned, EFCC can arrest anybody, if? the person is proved? to be innocent, he? should be freed, and if he is guilty he should be convicted,” he submitted.
Tunde Oladunjoye, the Ogun State Deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in the April 2011 election lambasted the Afenifere for the visit. He said the Yoruba elders that visited Daniel were not representing their people but themselves.
“These people are contractors. They have benefited directly and personally from Daniel and their visit was not a surprise in any form. But they should have waited for the court of law to make its judgment before jumping the gun. They should also know that their pronouncements were contrary to the conditions on which Daniel was granted bail.”
But while Afenifere was eulogizing Daniel for his actions, some youths under the aegis of National Association of Nigerian Students who besieged Isabo venue of the trial of the ex-governor were seen with placards calling Daniel unprintable names. The students came in five buses from all the state tertiary institutions and carried placards bearing different inscriptions like, “Gbenga Daniel Must be jailed”, “OGD is a Killer”, “Daniel has empowered cultists”? and “Oole oolee olee.”
The protesters told LEADERSHIP that the former governor had mortgaged their future on the altar of insatiable desire for money. As part of the way of showing their displeasure, the protesters printed and distributed leaflets condemning the tuition fees under the Daniel administration as well as various deductions from the state workers’ salaries and other alleged deductions.