AN OPEN LETTER TO SENATOR ROWLAND OWIE
FROM AIR IYARE
Ekhator Street,
Egor Quarters,
Benin City.
17th February, 2003.
My dear Senator,
MATTERS ARISING: EXPLAIN TO EDO PEOPLE
First and foremost, congratulation for emerging the gubernatorial flag bearer
of ANPP in Edo State. With your victory, I understand you will now slug it out
with the incumbent Governor, Chief Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion. Honourable
Senator, I am aware we have maternal relationship and that our villages in
Uhunmwode Local Government Area are few kilometers apart. Four months ago, you
offered me the post of your campaign manager, which I rejected so as to remain
neutral in the human madness, called politics. All these would have made me to
be silent over your issue. But my conscience, which has made me a prisoner of
truth, will not allow me. Hence I am out to ask you some few questions on behalf
of the people of Edo State.
My questions would not have arisen if you were not seeking the governorship of
Edo State - a position that gives you power over life and death. For example, by
exercising your prerogative of mercy, you could set a condemned murderer free
without clearance from my FATHER. And by your power of "Nolle Presequi", you
could tell the Chief Judge of Edo State not to prosecute a killer and she would
obey. You can glean from the above examples that Nigerian Governors are demi-gods.
Hence you must explain some pertinent issues so that my people will not use
their votes to commit suicide. From what I have read of you late, it appears
that you are now a Christian or at least a churchian. As a good Christian you
know that St. Augustine once said that "a good conscience is the palace of
Christ; the temple of the Holy Ghost; the paradise of delight and the standing
Sabbath of the Saints".
2. You were voted to the Senate as a representative of Edo South Senatorial
District. By this singular action, you became the Chief Whip of the Senate. Due
to fraud for which you were allegedly involved, your fellow Senators removed you
as their Chief Whip. And although you were later pardoned, your position was not
restored to you. Have you realized that by these actions, you brought shame and
odium to the Binis who voted you to that office? Has it ever occurred to you to
tender an unreserved apology to your people for your misbehaviour? A mighty Bill
Clinton had the humility to apologize to the American people over his
indiscretion in a sex-scandal. Mr. Senator, if you regard your people as fools,
I am not one of the fools. In civilized nations, you would not have qualified to
return to the Senate, talk more of a higher plane of a gubernatorial flag
bearer.
3. Political Harlotory: Since your foray to the public scene, there are some of
your actions that portray you as unstable and unreliable character. When
Governor Ambrose Alli defeated you in the gubernatorial primary of the UPN in
November 1982, you immediately decamped and joined NPN where you became the
campaign manager in Bendel State. And when your party won that election, you
were compensated with the post of Commissioner for Special duties. Mr.
Commissioner, were you really interested in the populist programme of UPN or a
political post for your self-aggrandizement? Governor Alli defeated me in the
same contest in 1979. I didn't decamp. But rather followed him to flag off his
campaign at Urora village, Ikpoba Hill. I can remember vividly that Madam Grace
Bazuaye was with me in my Audi 100 GLS car that day. "Oga" Senator, don't you
believe that you are in politics for personal gains and not service to the
people?
4. In 1999 you again contested the gubernatorial primary with the incumbent
governor and lost. You now decided to settle for the Senatorial seat. Before the
expiration of your four-year term you decamped from PDP while still a Senator
and joined ANPP. If you had failed to get the guber ticket of the ANPP on
January 3rd, 2003, which of the new generation political parties would you have
crossed to? Don't you think you have taken and continue to take the electorates
for a ride? What is so special in being a Governor that makes you human beings
to throw conscience, and morality to the dustbin? When I lost to Governor Alli
in 1979, Late Pa Eric Imafidon and Mr. V.I Amadasun wanted me to go to the
Senate as compensation. I told them that I was not the only qualified Bini man
around. That it would be selfish and unethical of me to go to the Senate after
having lost out in the guber race. My refusal made them to approach Late Olu
Akpata who later became the Senator for Edo South Senatorial District. You can
cross-check this fact from Mr. V.I Amadasun who is still alive. Senator, do you
think Edo people can hand over its destinies to a man unstable and changeable as
a Camelion? This year 2003, will decide if Nigeria will remain as a nation. In
the impending crisis, Edo people will need a man of "character" to pilot its
affairs. You may want to know how I know? Because I do not belong to your Homo
Sapien race!
5. In your interview in "Mid-West Times", No 58 of 2002, you stated that in
1979, you became a member of the House of Representative, representing
Orhionmwon. Within that 4 years, you stated and I quote - " I did my best". How
best was your best you didn't catalogue. In 1999 you also became a Senator and
probably did your best too. Your Colleague Senator Victor Oyofo of the North
Senatorial District gave a comprehensive account of his stewardship to his
people. For which he has just been voted to represent them the second time. The
few times I heard your voice in the Senate was when you were charged for fraud
and when you were at the fore-front to impeach President Obasanjo. The other
visible things to your credit is the launching of your multi-million Naira
transport line, "Royal Link" of about 30 vehicles and the conversion of the
electric transformer meant for the whole area of Medical Store environ to serve
your house alone. If I have forgotten your other achievements kindly tell Edo
people. Like other Senators across Nigeria, how many University scholarships did
you award to Bini youths? How many charity organizations and the "wretched of
the earth" did you bail out with your stupendous wealth? How many of those that
campaign to see you through to the Senate, did you remember when you got there?
6. Honourable Senator, let us go through memory lane for the benefit of our
young politicians. When you decamped from UPN to join NPN in 1982, you became
the campaign manager for NPN in Bendel State. On the UPN side were Governor
Ambrose Alli, Mr. Stephen Giwa Amu and myself who mounted a three prong
intensive campaign to retain Alli in office. I am aware that your
"two-body-guards" then were Mr. Sunday Obasuyi and Mr. Collins Aibangbe. These
same duo thugs of NPN were later arrested, tried and sentenced to death in
absentia for the assassination of Mr. Kayode Giwa-Amu, who they mistook for his
brother, Mr. Stephen Giwa-Amu. These two killers broke out of Benin prison when
your government was already in office and escaped outside Nigeria never to be
seen ever since. Even though they were condemned to death by a Benin High Court.
Mr. Senator, in the name of God and the Holy Mary who you constantly invoke,
explain to the public what you know about this matter. Speak the truth, the
whole truth, nothing but the truth. To say you don't know is a fallacy. And the
problem of a liar is that he must invent twenty other lies to justify his first
lie, thereby telling twenty one lies.
In my periodic sojourn to the Astral World and my ability to read the truth from
the Arkansane Record, I know that Sunday Obasuyi was stabbed in a hotel brawl
with some German youths five years ago. Mr. Collins Aibangbe surfaced two years
ago in the streets of New York and is presently holed up in one of the states of
the United States of America - a living dead, only to see his native land
through plastic surgery. Mr. Senator, are you aware that a man from Edo State
collected $10,000 from Collins Aibangbe in New York two years ago with a promise
to arrange a state pardon for him? You don't know?
7. Mr. Senator, in your interview with "Mid-West Times" last year, you stated
and I quote, " I left Ahmadu Bello University in 1971 having gone through the
teacher training college in Isele-Uku". You never told your audience when you
entered ABU. Was it your name-sake (a student of the same surname with you) that
was found to have entered University of Ibadan with forged certificate in the
Late 60's when Chief Tayo Akpata was the deputy Registrar of UI? The people will
want to know, so as not to dent your good name for the crime of another Owie.
8. In the same interview under reference, you stated that you joined Auchi
Polytechnic on 1st January 1974 and finally left in 1977. I remember vividly
that within this period, I delivered a lecture titled "The Youths Of Today Are
The Leaders of Tomorrow", to the entire student body of that Institution. After
which you invited me to your staff quarters for a drink before I left for Benin
City. If my memory is not failing me 30 years after, Mr. Igharo was the then
Provost; Mr. Otaru, the Registrar; Mr. Owie the Administrative Secretary and Mr.
Omoregie the busar. Between 1976 and 1977, the bursar's cash office was to be
set ablaze to cover up some missing money therein. The public will want to know
those indicted because I learnt that some of them are presently gunning for
public offices under the present political despensation.
9. In most of your interviews so far, you have "opened up" confessing your past
sins, for which you begged God for forgiveness. I can assure you that my FATHER
forgives confession of sins from a sincere and contrite heart. Provided such
sins do not violate the cosmic laws which Jesus had in mind when he said - "if
you sin against the Father, you will be forgiven. If you sin against the Son,
you will be forgiven. But if you sin against the Holy Ghost, you will not be
forgiven". Because the Holy Ghost is the custodian of the cosmic laws on which
the Universe is founded. Which when sinned against will not be forgiven because
God will not change the foundation and chemistry of the Universe because of one
man's sin.
10. Battle Axe of God which is your campaign sloganwells up the base and
animalistic instinct in man, characteristic of the Tudor and Stuart periods in
England and the "Louises" period in France. While such slogan could be
fashionable during the ages of the Reformation and Counter Reformation, with
their attendant bloody religious wars all over Europe in the 14th to 17th
centuries, such slogan is not relevant today in a mere political campaign. It
could be invoked today by the jihadists, not politicians. Because it is crude,
inciting and provocative when viewed from the prism of political opponents. For
example, THE BLACK AXE is today a terrorist and blood -letting organizations in
Nigerian Universities.
Kindly delete such slogan from all your posters, handbills and other political
tracts before you ignite a bloody political confrontation from your political
opponents. Let's not use the name of God in vain by mixing politics with
religion. Political victories in Nigeria today have nothing to do with God.
Rather, it is a product of how you can use money and manipulate the instrument
of the devil to out-wit your opponent with the same instrument.
For example Mr. Senator, you spent N20 million as unrefundable deposit for you
guber primary. This is made up of your N5 million deposit and the N15 million
deposits of your three co-contestants which you ordered to be refunded to them
following their protests over your phyrric victory and which you now paid to
your party treasury. This is outside the N10,000 per one delegate out of the 184
votes you scored to win. The fun in all these political madness is that almost
all the 20 delegates from Ikpoba-Okha Local Government, collected N10,000 each
and only two of them actually voted for you. All these and many more added, will
sum up what you have spent so far, when the campaign proper has not taken off,
at a conservative figure of about N100 million. And you ascribe your victory to
God?
When I die and go to Heaven, three things will surprise me when I get there.
One, to see that the people I expect on earth to be there are not there. Two, to
see those I never expected to be there are there. Three, to find a poor sinner
like myself there. To hell with everybody in Nigeria. The sins of this nation is
a million times more than those of Sodom and Gomorrah. And my FATHER will vent
his anger soon on the nation. This I was told by the birds.
11. Womanhood: Womanhood "is the perfect workmanship of God, the true glory of
angels, the rare miracle of earth, and the sole wonder of the world" - Hermes.
Next to God, we are indebted to woman. First, for replenishing life and second,
for making life worth living. Mr. Senator, were you before and during your
Senatorship, sponsoring Edo girls to Italy for prostitution? Or am I being
misinformed from the records of the State Security Service, SSS? Are you among
those who debase womanhood which is the jewel and treasure of the world; the
poetry and celestial light of the Universe; and the terrestrial planets that
rule the destinies of mankind? Speak out, for he who debases womanhood debases
his "sweet mother".
Inspite of all these mere allegations, I am not imputing that you are guilty. I
am only calling on you to defend yourself before the court of public opinion.
Whilst the final verdict will be passed by the people. I am only playing the
role of a public prosecutor and not a judge. Because as Socrates once opined,
philosophers and wise men who remain aloof in politics should blame themselves
when fools, charlatans and thieves rule over them.
EPILOGUE: My good people of Edo State. Two days after the assassination of Mr.
Kayode Giwa-Amu in 1982, by Mr. Sunday Obasuyi and Collins Aibangbe, the duo
assassins rained four bullets at me while reading "Time Magazine" in the varanda,
2nd floor, of my father's house at No. 6, 2nd Oza Lane, Benin City at 2.20a.m.
None of the bullets met me through the grace of my Father. The marks of the
bullets on the wall are still there till today. Late ASP Iyamu and his night
patrol team arrived the scene at 2.40a.m to recover two ejected but unexploded
bullets from under the flower fence from which I was fired at. Also recovered
were two 30 litres of jerry cans filled with petrol that were to be used to burn
down my father's house. Late Governor Alli arrived my house 6a.m same morning to
really make sure I was not hurt. My offense and that of Mr. Stephen Giwa-Amu,
was that we were the arrow heads of the campaign team to retain Alli in
Government House.
I have gone this memory lane to show that I know the implication of this
open-letter. The God that saved me from death 20 years ago still whispers to my
ears saying, "fear not my son, for 'Am with thee always". There is nothing in
the universe that I fear but that I shall be found wanting in my duty to God and
humanity. I shall therefore not be diverted from my duty by any idle reflections
the silly world may make upon me. For their censures are not within my power to
control and should therefore not be my concern. May God protect us all from
assassins and killers.
Amen! Amen!! And Amen!!!
Air Iyare
E-mail:
airiyare@yahoo.com GSM: 08037262897
