Adams Oshiomhole, the Comrade governor in Edo State is not a friend of godfathers. We have proof here in this edition. But when we got the clearance for this interview with him and the editorial board asked Dipo Onabanjo, editorial director, known in-house here as the godfather, to lead the TELL team, we knew that they would only disagree to agree. The godfather that the Comrade Governor abhors is the politically oppressive kind but Onabanjo, who plies his trade in the newsroom, has no political inclination. He led a team comprising Tony Manuaka, senior associate editor and Sunday Adedeji, senior photo editor. Their mandate was to engage Oshiomhole on all matters national as well as issues about Edo and his administration. Throughout Monday, the original appointment day, they could not get an audience with him. The governor had very tight schedule. But just as Louis Odion, the Commissioner for Information was about succeeding to take them before ‘Oshio Baba’, as the governor is called by his admirers, it was discovered that the governor and some members of the state Executive Council were holding an emergency meeting over the death of Usman Aliu, a beloved member of the State House of Assembly. And it was a mournful Chief Executive who abandoned other engagements to commiserate with Aliu‘s family.
Then about thirty minutes into the interview on Tuesday, the governor had to jet out to Abuja for the emergency Council of States Meeting. That was the meeting that discussed the appalling security situation in the country, the controversial ceasefire issue and (skipped) attempt at debating one of the most controversial political issues in the country at the moment: The Tambuwal Saga.
That Tuesday, after Abuja had gone to sleep, our team, which had tailed the Comrade Governor to the federal capital, sat down for the second and final session of the interview. Onabanjo said “We found him witty and willing to take any question.” The result of that encounter is what we serve you in this edition, “Boko Haram Is Beyond Politics”.
Prior to that journey by Onabanjo’s team, Iseribor Okhueleigbe, assistant copy editor had gone to Port Harcourt, Rivers State to cover the Book Festival. But the editorial board asked him to also gauge the political temperature there over the race for the Brick House, the government House in Port Harcourt. What he came back with is packaged in “The Battle For Amaechi’s Crown”.
By the way, have you done the biometrics with your bank? Whatever your response is, the next story will interest you. The story, The Challenge of Bank ID Scheme, chronicles the experiences of bank customers who are striving to obey the call for the bank number verification exercise. It is written by Abiola Odutola, staff writer. On the political front, the defection of Aminu Tambuwal, speaker of the House of Representatives continues to give the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP some migraine. How will the party tackle it? PDP’s Tambuwal Dilemma is written by Gboyega Odumesi, reporter.
Do have a blessed week.
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