National Conference: Gov. Oshiomhole replies Col. Nyiam

The Edo state government has accused Col. Nyiam of being a biased member of a presidential advisory committee on national dialogue which ought to be above political, ethnic and indeed other sentiments.

In a press release issued by the chief press secretary to the Edo state governor, Mr. Peter Okhiria, the governor said, going by Col. Nyiam’s antecedents, the Benin incident is just another manifestation of Col. Nyiam’s lack of respect for constituted authority and his love for disunity.

The statement also alleged that Colonel Nyiam’s ambition for power led to the death of many officers and men who owned up and faced the sentence for their treason in his military days.

The Edo state government added that it finds it interesting that Col Nyiam has exposed the undercurrent motive of the conference, which has also confirmed governor Oshiomhole’s initial fears about the viability, necessity and desirability of the national conference.

Reacting to Col. Nyiam’s defence of his action, Oshiomhole in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Peter Okhiria said:

“Our attention has been drawn to the lame and odious response of Col Tony Nyiam to his shameful action at the sitting of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue in Benin City, on Monday October 28 where he fully exposed his hand as a biased member of a committee which should be above political, ethnic and indeed other sentiments.

“We wonder when Nyiam became the President’s spokesman as to want to drag the President’s name into his shameful act. We are, however, not surprised, going by his antecedents; the Benin incident was just another manifestation of Nyiam’s lack of respect for constituted authority and his love for disunity.

“Nyiam said Governor Adams Oshiomhole was “talking down on the people”. We wonder when airing one’s opinion or saying ‘I believe that the outcome of this conference will not be different from that of other conferences we have had in the past’ means talking down on the people.

“Nyiam deserves our pity. He might still be hallucinating, thinking he is an Army officer who must be obeyed. We recognize that no military officer worth his salt would openly disagree with a superior or a governor at a forum such as the one in Benin City, but again, we recognize that the maxim “Officer and Gentleman” does not apply to Nyiam as he has once again displayed to the people in the open.

“We find it interesting that Nyiam has exposed the undercurrent motive of the conference which has also confirmed Governor Oshiomhole’s initial fears about viability, necessity and desirability of same.

“In as much as we believe that Nigeria is in dire straits, the Governor still insists that a talkshop with no agenda is not necessary at this time.”