Wednesday, April 10, 2013

“We shall return fire-for-fire” – Fasehun warns ACN

Founder and President of the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, Dr. Frederick Fasehun, has alerted the nation to moves by Action Congress of Nigeria chieftains and the ACN Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to heat up the South-West. Saying Mohammed has won himself the reputation of Joseph Goebbel, the propaganda Minister of Adolf Hitler, Fasehun accused the ACN spokesman of unleashing a campaign of misinformation, disinformation, lies and propaganda, against plans to resuscitate the Unity Party of Nigeria, (UPN), founded by Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1978. Dr. Fasehun is the Chairman of the Committee for the Resuscitation of UPN. However, the OPC founder warned that he and his organisation would return fire-for-fire. “We know how far they can go and we are calling the nation to note that although Fasehun entertains no fear from them, should there be any danger lurking around him or his interests, we will not only attack the offending tree, we shall inflict collateral damage on its branches.” At a press briefing held in Lagos recently, Mohammed had openly accused the Federal Government of engineering confusion towards the 2015 polls through several means, including the resurrection of UPN. “Nigerians must note that Lai Mohammed and his cohorts are the ones introducing instability into the South-West through indulging in this sort of misinformation, disinformation, lies and propaganda,” Fasehun said in a statement circulated in Lagos yesterday. Reports said Mohammed at the media parley echoed recent internet postings that the Federal Government had awarded OPC and Fasehun a monthly N2.4 billion pipeline protection contract to bankroll a plan to use UPN to rattle ACN in its South-West stronghold. Debunking insinuations that OPC had bagged such a contract, Fasehun said they were lies and propaganda concocted by a warped mentality against him, OPC and the common people of Nigeria. He recalled that he had himself spoken to the Press on January 17, 2013 and in subsequent newspaper and television interviews about the OPC proposal to stem pipeline vandalisation, saying, the organisation was only toeing the line of private security agencies formed by militants in the Niger-Delta who secured pipeline-protection contracts in their area. “Equity and Federal Character dictate we should get a similar contract. And unlike billions of naira rampantly stolen from state allocations by politicians in authority in this part of the world, the pipeline contract will feed tens of thousands of families,” Fasehun said. “Unfortunately, the Federal Government is yet to reply to our proposal, although we have been to Abuja to defend our proposal at several interviews.” He continued: “But now, Lai Mohammed, either through false propaganda or pure lying to the world, quoting figures from a richly warped mentality, has shown that he and his cohorts have hijacked the contract letter addressed to the OPC.”

1 comment:

  1. I was opportune to attend the new UPN general meeting today (April 10, 2013) and I must tell you that it was a marvelous experience and an eye opener - a reminder of what the party of the common people should be like. I honestly can understand why ACN is soooo afraid of a resurrected UPN, after all ACN was supposed to be espousing Awoism while in reality it is very antithetical to chief Awolowo's Ideology. I am not surprised at all after today's general meeting as to why ACN and probably some other parties will do anything to keep UPN dead and buried once and for all. Nigerians are simply tired of all other political parties in the country right now because they are just too plutocratic instead of being democratic. And oh yes, I learned a new phrase today: When you hear "UP UPN!!!" You will say in yoruba "OJU TI LA" meaning "ENLIGHTENMENT" or literally "OUR EYES ARE OPENED" You can also say this in any Nigeria language. Whatever language you use, I think Nigerians are simply saying that "WE THE PEOPLE ARE SMARTER THAN YOU THINK."
    By: Adesina Akanni

    ReplyDelete