FROM: EMMANUEL ADEYEMI, LOKOJA
The Speaker of Kogi State House Assembly, Prince Mathew Kolawole, has said the attack on Sen. Dino Melaye, last Saturday, in Kabba, could have been averted if the senator had heeded the advice of traditional rulers who pleaded with him not to come to the occasion.
The Speaker, while fielding questions from newsmen, on Monday night, in Lokoja, said it was a slap on Kabba people for Sen. Melaye to have flagrantly ignored the plea of the revered traditional rulers only to storm the ceremony with his supporters.
Recall that Dino Melaye representing Kogi West senatorial district in the National Asembly, was attacked over the weekend by suspected thugs at the Kabba township stadium during Kabba Day celebration.
The senator had alleged that Governor Yahaya Bello of the state was the brain behind his attack.
But the governor, who refused to show up at the ceremony, because of the tensed atmosphere, said though he was in the town hours before the commencement of the ceremony, he had to leave the town to avoid unnecessary bloodshed as some hoodlums might cash in on the situation to cause a breakdown of law and order.
The Speaker who applauded the maturity of the governor, however, expressed disappointment that Sen. Melaye who, he said forced his way into the ceremony, embarked on hate speeches in spite of pleas from the organisers of the ceremony, and stressed that that attitude was alien to Okun people’s culture and tradition.
In his words, ” Our amiable Governor Yahaya Bello was the special guest of honour on the occasion and in spite of his numerous engagements that day, he still came to Kabba because of the great love he has for the area, but somebody to willfully disrupt the well-organised occasion with hate speeches and brigandage is appallingly saddened, and this is a slight to us in our land.
” No matter the age of the governor, he is the father of all and we must give him the due respect, and the governor actually behaved fatherly that day by refusing to appear at the occasion, he sent me to represent him with a donation of #20 million
” The governor exhibited great maturity that day, and this has endeared him to more people, and we the Kabba- owe people are well pleased with him, we are law abiding and peaceful people, and violence is alien to our culture,” Kolawole added.