October 14, 2009 01:09AMT
Protesters from the Coalition Against Corrupt leaders, led by Debo Adeniran stormed the gate of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs Tuesday as the former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, was about to commence his lecture at the institution on Victoria Island, Lagos.
The gang of protesters was, however, denied entry into the complex by security officials of the NIIA and the private security officers of the former governor.
The protesters then moved to the frontage of the nearby Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to chant songs. Mr. Adeniran told NEXT his group was at the venue to make their views known.
“When we arrived here in the morning, we saw lots of armed security men and we told them that we are on a peaceful demonstration, not here to cause violence and we also told them that nobody has a monopoly of violence because if we do a peaceful procession and they are wielding lethal weapons against us, then we may be forced to adopt whatever means possible to seek justice in our quest,” he said.
“We want to tell Nigerians that the dignified forum which the Business Hallmark (the lecture organisers) provided Mr. Ibori to launder the image he battered himself is not appropriate. We do not have to give honour to those who plundered the honour of this country, which is why we are protesting.” A mild clash then occurred between anti-corruption protesters and supporters of Mr. Ibori, who said they had come all the way from Delta State to honour their patron.
As the Adeniran-led group held their demonstration in front of the SON office, the Ibori faction, made up of heavily built men dressed in suits, walked over to the protesters and threatened to attack them. They also threatened journalists who were recording the protest and demanded that all recordings should stop.
This led to a fracas, as bottles were smashed and wielded as weapons. A member of the anti-corruption group with a head cut alleged that “the Ibori supporters smashed a bottle of alcohol on my head.” The leader of the Ibori supporters group, one Emmanuel , then placed a call to popular musician, Daddy Showkey to placate the protesters. Shortly afterwards, a number of placards emerged amongst the Ibori supporters, who now called on journalist to photograph them.
The placards contained words such as: “Ibori is our man, pride of Deltans.”
Different takes on the Ibori legacy
One of them, who identified himself as Sylvester Okoloko, said the former governor was their father and that they loved him very much.
“We respect his political ideology, we respect the landmark achievement he made in our state and the burgeoning role he played in the development of the Deltans, that is why we are here to hail him,” Mr Okoloko said.
When NEXT asked him why they opposed the anti-Ibori protesters, Mr. Okoloko said: “these are sponsored touts, what is their business, are they from Delta State? Our governor is just giving a lecture, is there a problem in that?” When asked him if he wasn’t sponsored all the way from Delta State, he said: “we are indigenes of Delta State, we love and appreciate our governor; that is why we are here.”
Mr. Adeniran, however said the lecture was a poor platform for Mr Ibori to advise the nation.
“The court is the right place for anybody standing trial on criminal charges to defend himself. We do not believe that people who have been convicted once, twice and still awaiting other convictions have the right to continue to pontificate on how to better the lot of those who have never been found wanting in their areas of operation,” he said. “We believe that Mr. Ibori is one of those that caused the problems that is plaguing the southern zone of Nigeria and because of this, we want him to go to court in London and Asaba to clean himself before he now begins to tell Nigerians on the best way to arrange their socio-economic activities or the best way to associate. So we are protesting to say that we no longer believe somebody like James Ibori can be a responsible leader because he has socio- moral questions hanging on his neck.”
http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5469923-146/story.csp
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