FREE SPEECH, FREE PRESS: Nigeria Style.

[Prince]

FREE SPEECH, FREE PRESS: Nigeria Style.
Is there a better example of how this have gotten out of wack in Motherland?  If someone should say of Nigeria, \"The bones shall not rise again,\" would he be wrong?  Is this the stuff FREEDOM is made of?  Or is it too harsh to assume that Nigeria, like a broke pot, has no mmekwata-rity?

For Calling Awolowo A Devil: OPC Orders  
Dokubo Out Of Lagos
donald ojogo, Independent Newpapers

What could have been a bloody clash in Lagos yesterday was averted when members of the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) stormed the premises of the Lagos State Television Station, LTV channel 8, to attack the leader of the Niger ? Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF), Alhaji Asari Dokubo for allegedly calling the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a devil.

The four-man team of the OPC, led by a man simply identified as the Generalismo of the body, arrived the premises of the television station demanding to see Dokubo who was billed to appear on the programme. When it was discovered that Dokubo had left the Lateef Jakande Way offices of LTV8, the Generalissimo angrily told the crowd that had gathered, ?whoever knows Dokubo should tell him to leave Lagos within 24hours if he knows what is good for him.? Attempts to get the Generalissimo to say more was rebuffed as the OPC leader stomped off angrily.

However, the leader of OPC, Chief Gani Adams has expressed his displeasure and disappointment with Dokubo.

?How can Dokubo call Papa Awolowo a devil? That is an insult and I sense a political undertone. Dokubo is supposed to be a friend of the Yoruba. He obviously doesn?t have his facts right. He needs to be taught how to talk because he is very new in the struggle. He has to learn how to be diplomatic. We don?t want any problems between the Ijaw and the Yoruba. So, he must apologise in his own interest because he has insulted the Yoruba race by calling our hero a devil. Something is wrong somewhere.\"

The OPC team which arrived the premises of LTV8 at about 1:45 pm in an unmarked Toyota Carina Car ordered Dokubo to leave Lagos within 24 hours or face their wrath.

The Niger-Delta warlord, who is an active member of the Pro-Sovereign National Conference Organisations (PRONACO) Action Group, had arrived Lagos Airport at 12 noon for a scheduled meeting with elder statesman, Pa Anthony Enahoro at 3:pm.

However, he used the brief three-hour period between the time of his arrival and his meeting with Pa Enahoro to feature on a LTV live programme as a guest.

During the programme Dokubo spoke on crucial national issues where he reportedly poured invectives on the late Awolowo, whom he accused of ?tribal sentiments and laying the foundation for the current crisis in the Niger ? Delta region.? ?To me, as an Ijaw man from the Niger ? Delta, Awolowo is not our hero. In fact, he is the only devil the Ijaw man knows to be the cause of his problem, and I stand to be corrected.? Shocked by Dokubo?s vehement outburst, the programme?s moderator asked the NDVF leader to repeat the statement and he boldly said he had no apologies Dokubo, who perhaps for inadequate airtime, could not substantiate his allegations against the late sage, however, insisted that ?all the economic policies of Awolowo, while he was General Gowon?s Finance Minister, were inimical to the well-being of the people of Niger Delta.?

No sooner had he finished that one of his colleagues in PRONACO, Mr Rasaq Oloko-Oba accosted him with abuses, a development which almost degenerated into a physical combat.

It was not immediately known if the arrival of the OPC members arose from a distress call from Oloko-Oba. The team arrived a few minutes after Dokubo had left the LTV premises.

But rather than head for Pa Enahoro?s residence for the meeting, Dokubo drove straight to the Lagos Airport, apparently on a return journey to Port ?Harcourt.

Meanwhile, Head, Media and Publicity of PRONACO, Mr Wale Okuniyi, has debunked claims that Dokubo left Lagos out of fear or in annoyance.

?The only thing is that he did not call Papa to inform him of his movement back to Port ?Harcourt.  He had actually met with the PRONACO?s Action Group. What they are for, is to present to Papa their plan of action for a programme PRONACO had scheduled for April 11. When I called him he told me he had to be in Port-Harcourt for the burial of the late Nationalist, Chief Harold Dappa Biriye.

[Susia]

I guess one has to be careful what they say in Nigeria. Isn\'t it amazing. What happened to the freedom of Speech? I guess one can\'t express their views about another person. What ever happened to people\'s perception?

Thats the same thing that flooded the news a couple months back between Abia State Governor, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu and President Olusegun Obasanjo,  where Chief Orji Uzor Kalu allegedly called the President the derogatory names in an interview.

[Prince]

Oh, there\'s freedon of speech in Nigeria, alright.  In Nigeria, freedom of speech means, we are free to listen to speeches.  Wehave the right to choose and pick which speeches tlo listen to.  Speaking our mind is treason, in Nigeria.  The most fabulous thing about it is we still have freedon to remain silent.  Anything we say can, and will be, used against us in the President\'s presence.

[sly]

Even the PDP national chairman was allegedly forced to resign by Obj for voicing out his opinion on the Anambra saga.

[Prince]

In all this, President George W Bush hails Pres Obasanjo as a pursuer of democracy and free speech.

Anyi na lemani ihee!