AN OPEN LETTER TO SENATOR ROWLAND OWIE

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