Guardian

Osun to give him state burial

NLC tasks Jonathan on killings

AHEAD of today’s burial of the assassinated Principal Private Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Olaitan Oyerinde, in his Ede home in Osun State, the governor has explained why he brought the trade unionist to the state.

Oshiomhole said his action was to remind the deceased of the dreams they had and shared “in the struggle for freedom.”

He stated this yesterday when Prof. Julius Ihonvbere paid him a condolence visit in his office over the killing of Oyerinde in his Benin residence last Friday.

The slain aide will also be honoured today by his home state of Osun, where the Governor Rauf Aregbesola administration has announced a state burial for him.

In a statement signed by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon yesterday, the government said the action was in recognition of Oyerinde’s contributions to humanity.

The government said Oyerinde would be remembered for his role in delivering Nigeria from the claws of military rule among other struggles at keeping the nation as an indivisible entity.

Oshiomhole, who again condemned Oyerinde’s assassination, vowed to do everything humanly possible to find the killers. “The void cannot be filled. I wanted somebody who would constantly remind me of what the dream was and what we fought for, the journey we have started to clean up the polity, Olaitan’s blood will only fire us to do more. It is still difficult for me to comprehend how anyone thinks that killing is a solution to a political challenge.”

Earlier, Ihonvbere condemned the killings and threats of violence being introduced into the politics of the state. “I believe that in politics, people must learn to tolerate, accommodate and be ready to dialogue.”

Meanwhile, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Abdulwaheed Omar, had in a letter he wrote to President Goodluck Jonathan urged him not to allow Edo State crisis cause the end of the democratic movement in the country. He appealed to the President to prevail on the security agencies to find the killers of Oyerinde, who was the Deputy National Secretary of the NLC before he was killed.

Omar disclosed this when he led other trade unionists and Edo workers to commiserate with Adams Oshiomhole over Oyerinde’s death.

“We have come to join the Edo State Council of the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the organisers of the peaceful protest, to present letters to the Oba of Benin, the Director of the State Security Service (SSS) and Commissioner of Police and we have received encouraging words from them that the killers will be brought to justice,” Omar stated.

In a statement, the Chief Press Secretary to Oshiomhole, Peter Okhiria, quoted Omar as saying that “it is our expectations that all these efforts will not go unrewarded. We have come to present a condolence letter to the governor as this is a very serious loss not only to the Labour movement but the Edo people.

“We are giving you the assurances that this is a fight on which all Nigerian workers must join hands together. We must rise up and remind ourselves that an injury to one is an injury to all.”

Oshiomhole said he was concerned about the outcome of the investigations because over the years, there have been several murder cases and the killers were not found.

“It is the result of this investigation that will determine the steps we take. I will stand up to be counted in any measure we are about to take. What will be the difference is the quality of their investigation, because there have been many investigations.”

Oshiomhole said from May 18 when the 14-day ultimatum given to the security agencies would expire, “if they do not find the people who killed Oyerinde, I intend to take some measures. There has to be balance of madness because nobody has the monopoly of madness.”

He said the government would rename Delta Crescent after Oyerinde.