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NANS, NAOSS Lash Amosun Over Statement Against Governor Abiodun

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

Criticisms have greeted former Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s statement against Governor Dapo Abiodun made on Friday, August 5, 2022, at the Abeokuta Club, Ogun State, where he said he will work against his re-election in 2023.

This National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Ogun State Chapter, and the National Association of Ogun State students, NAOSS, have described the statement as reckless, capable of setting the State on fire.

Kehinde Simeon Damilola, the State Chairman of NANS, and the National President of NAOSS, Comrade Ogunrombi Oluwagbemileke, in a joint statement castigated Amosun for trying to set the Party and the State on fire which could cause rancour, unnecessary issues and disturb the peace and tranquility of the State.

The former Governor was also reported to have said, he is not support of Abiodun’s administration, declaring that all efforts must be made to vote the Government out of power in 2023.

They described Amosun’s statement as “ridiculous and unbecoming of a leader  of his calibre”.

The statement reads:

”We have read a report of statements attributed to the immediate past Governor of Ogun State at the Abeokuta Club award yesterday (Friday).

“We can only laugh at the condescending remarks made by ex-governor Ibikunle Amosun who claimed that the 2019 gubernatorial election was rigged in favour of the incumbency in Ogun state which left us with bewilderment on how an individual can still desperately make such unfounded allegations after the appropriate court of jurisdiction have upheld the election”.

Both Amosun and Dapo are of the same party – APC.

The Ogun State chapter of the party has, also, condemned Amosun in very strong language. The Party said the former Governor is suffering from “amnesia and out-of-office loneliness.”

Amosun is currently a Senator.

Ibom Air Evacuates Passengers As Aircraft Malfunctions

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Ibom Air

By Akinwale Kasali

There was palpable tension at the tarmac of the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, as the Akwa Ibom State Government-owned airline, Ibom Air, had an emergency evacuation of passengers.

The aircraft with number IAN 4157 and 128 passengers, departed Abuja for Lagos at 10.30a.m. It landed at the international runway in Lagos on schedule at 11.41 am.

Upon taxiing on the runway, the Pilots noticed an indication from the main wheels, suggesting a malfunction. Immediately, there was an announcement that the aircraft will be towed.

Although the Pilot tried to reassure the passengers of their safety, they were said to be uncomfortable with the development.

The airline buses rushed to transport passengers out of the tarmac and the airline engineers tried to address the issue and move the aircraft out of the runway.

Reacting swiftly, Ibom Air General Manager, Marketing and Communication, Aniekan Essienette, in a statement said: “In accordance with company procedure, rather than taxi the full distance to the domestic terminal, the crew opted to turn off into the international cargo apron from where stairs and buses were positioned to disembark the passengers and take them to the domestic arrival hall.

“All 128 passengers on board were safely disembarked and transported to the arrival hall at MMA2, while our Engineers work on the fault.

“This statement is given to clear any ambiguity while expressing our regrets to our passengers for the inconvenience.”

Ogun: APC Berates Fmr Gov Amosun For Comment Disparaging Gov Dapo Abiodun

By
Adesina Soyooye
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0

By Ayodele Oni

Amosun is suffering from political amnesia and out-of-office loneliness

The political war between immediate past Governor of Ogun state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and incumbent Governor, Dapo Abiodun, is yet to abate as their party, All Progressive Congress, (APC) takes side and pours its anger on the former Governor.

The APC in Ogun State said of the immediate past Governors and Senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District, that he obviously is suffering from “political amnesia and out-of-office loneliness.”

The APC, in a statement issued in Abeokuta on Saturday by its Publicity Secretary, Tunde Oladunjoye, was reacting to the comment reportedly credited to Amosun that the incumbent Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, did not win the 2019 governorship election.

The party said the ex-Governor’s claim is “an after-lunch belching of a man suffering from political amnesia  and loneliness.

The statement reads:

“The attention of our party has been drawn to a statement reportedly credited to the immediate past Governor of Ogun State and the Chief Promoter of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), His Excellency, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

“The quoted statement was not only an insult to the psyche of the people of Ogun State, but also a sad indication that the former Governor is yet to purge himself of extreme arrogance and intolerance that were his trademarks, which earned him suspension from our party, even as a sitting Governor.

“The APC, therefore, calls on the general public and, particularly, our esteemed members, to pity and pray for the former Governor as he obviously suffers from political amnesia, loneliness and absolute lack of touch with reality.

“There is absolute no truth in the specious utterance of the former Governor who is obviously still sulking from the electoral defeat of his surrogate party in 2019.

“Our party and candidate not only won fair and square, the victory of Prince Dapo Abiodun was also  attested to by his co-contestants, many of whom later joined APC and are still in APC.

“Never in the history of governorship elections in Ogun State have candidates of other parties so instantaneously congratulated and visited the Governor-elect, as it happened in the case of Governor Dapo Abiodun, whose Iperu country home hosted candidates and leaders of other parties, including late Prince Buruji Kashamu, Otunba Rotimi Paseda, Mr. Gboyega Nasiru Isiaka (GNI), and Otunba Gbenga Daniel, among others.

“It is on record that many of the then opposition figures like former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Alhaja Salmat  Badru, the deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Rueben Abati, GNI and others served in the Economic Transition Committee chaired by Mr. Tunde Lemo, which was set up by Prince Dapo Abiodun immediately after the elections.

“As provided for in a democracy, the candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement challenged the results of the election at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abeokuta and lost.

“His ramshackle petition was dismissed. While confirming the victory of Governor Abiodun at the Saturday, March 9,  2019  election, the tribunal led by Justice Yusuf Halilu, in its judgment, stated that: “This petition does not only fail, it is destined to fail, it fails and hereby dismissed.”

“Not satisfied, the APM and its candidate  went on appeal at the Court of Appeal, Ibadan and later at the Supreme Court where they also lost.

“It is remarkable that in all the petition and court cases, the judgements were unanimously passed without any dissenting voice from the Tribunal members and the judges at the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

“If the APM was as popular as the former Governor wants us to believe, he would have contested his senatorial election on the platform of the APM and not on the platform of the APC.

“We recollect vividly that it took the support of Prince Dapo Abiodun and the open appeal of our father and leader, Chief Olusegun Osoba, who pleaded during his visits to all the wards in Ogun Central Senatorial District that our members should consider the interest of the party by voting for Amosun.

“Having been witnessing the frustrating exodus of his former political allies who openly said they were tired of endemic lies; and his failure to wrest the party structures from the incumbent governor, the recourse by Senator Amosun to “elated”  after-lunch belching is understandable and pitiable.

“Furthermore, Amosun is still pained that despite the violence wrecked on our members, despite unfinished projects whose costs were mostly paid 100 percent upfront, despite the handover without a handover note, despite the wanton destruction of public facilities including pipe-borne water taps in Abeokuta, and notwithstanding the untoward provocations and shenanigans; Governor Abiodun remained focused and determined to leave Ogun State much better than he met it.

“While commending Governor Dapo Abiodun for his giant strides since assumption of office, we urge him to remain focused continuous delivery of the dividends of democracy for which Ogun people elected him; and not to join issues with sore losers.”

Ogun: I Will Remove Governor Abiodun From Office – Senator Amosun; Will Work Against APC In 2023

By
Adesina Soyooye
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Dapo Abiodun and Ibikunle Amosu

By Adesina Soyooye

The immediate past Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, says he will see to it that his successor, Governor Dapo Abiodun does not get a second term. He said he would soon say the way to go so that Abiodun would be a one-term Governor. Abiodun is the candidate of the Party in 2023.

The former Governor spoke on Friday in Abeokuta while receiving an award during the celebration of the 50th year anniversary of the Abeokuta Club.

Amosun made it clear that he is not in support of Governor Abiodun’s administration, and revealed  that Abiodun won the election through rigging.

Both Amosun and Abiodun are of the All Progressives Congress, APC. But from Amosun’s pronouncement, he will work against the Party, at least, during the Governorship election, as he would back a candidate of another party.

Amosun had backed another candidate, Adekunle Akinlade as his successor in 2019. But Abiodun defeated Akinlade in the Primary, forcing the later to defect to the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, on which platform he contested for the Governorship seat. But, again, he was defeated by Abiodun who scored a total of 241,670 votes to Akinlade’s 222,153 votes.

But Amosun, on Friday, said that Abiodun’s victory in 2019 was a product of rigging. He said those who engineered the rigging had since apologised to him.

Amosun: “During the last election, thank God, Chief Osoba is here, I have said it, we won convincingly. They rigged, rigged, and ended up with 19,000.(the margin with which his candidate was defeated).

“Some of them came to apologize to me. I can be mentioning names. We won that election. But I have moved on.

“Just wait. Very soon, you will hear where we are going next. Clearly, you know my stand, and my stand is my stand. I am not supporting this administration that is there now. He must be be removed.”

Opinion: What Muslim/Muslim Ticket Are We Even Talking About?

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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0

By Jesutega Onokpasa

I do not know the precise religious demographics of All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s family but I know it’s a Christian/Muslim mix. Nevertheless, it is most likely to be the case that Bola Tinubu goes to bed at night in his own house and, yet, he went to bed surrounded by Christians.

Needless to say, the same Bola Tinubu will wake up the next morning in a house in which he is probably the only Muslim on that particular occasion! Is this really the sort of Muslim candidate, somebody seriously expects us, as Christians, to oppose on the basis of religion?

I do not joke with my Lord Jesus Christ neither the religion I practice in His Most Holy Name. Indeed, the man, person, personality, spirit or force that should be able to entice, persuade, hoodwink or intimidate me out of Christianity does not exist, has never existed and can never exist. I will remain Christian and proclaim the Kingdom till Jesus comes! That is how fierce and utterly unshakable I am in my religious persuasion.

Now, a precept of my Jesus is that “by their fruits, you shall know them”. Indeed, even if many Christians might not be aware of it, this dictum of Our Lord is the basis of the Christian theological approach to the definition of the concept of the faithful of God, in other words, the Children of God.

If we are to discard the intrinsically misleading labels and woefully false tags we have become most unfortunately and rather miserably hostage to, I would say Bola Tinubu is, at least, as good a Christian as my humble self, if not, indeed, a better one. In fact, be it from the point of view of personal morality or public conduct, family background and life experiences, world view or approach to life, I cannot, in any honesty, see the basis upon which I might legitimately discriminate against someone like Tinubu other than on the completely untenable ground that he is a Muslim! And, if I were to do so, I would be going directly against the dictates of Jesus, my Saviour.

If law has taught me anything, it is to go beyond the surface to ascertain what truly lies underneath. If politics has taught me anything, it is to assess others on the basis of their achievements, attainments and stewardship. If activism has taught me anything, it is to judge everyone on the basis of the content of their character and not in accordance with some shameful paradigm such as the colour of their religious persuasion! If Christianity has taught me anything, it is not to judge lest I be judged.

Yes, Bola Tinubu is a Muslim and his running mate Kashim Shettima is also a Muslim but labelling, usages and nomenclature aside, I cannot, in any good conscience, see how the Tinubu/Shettima ticket is actually a Muslim/Muslim ticket for, in reality, it is practically no different from a Christian/Muslim ticket, if we are to tell ourselves the truth. Tinubu is a Yoruba man for God’s sake! If, as Christians, we would discriminate against a Yoruba Muslim, what sort of Muslim should we ever be able to get along with in the whole world?

I support the ticket knowing that a man who could not convert his own wife nor compel his own children to his religion cannot possibly endanger my religion in any way. I support Tinubu because he is by far the undisputed and indisputable number one performer in public administration since our return to democracy in 1999, if not in the entire history of this country.

I support Shettima for being able to keep Borno afloat, while bringing dividends of democracy to the people, even in the midst of the height of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East of our country. I cannot see how Peter Obi, as Governor of Anambra, despite all that may be said in his favour, surpasses even Kashim Shettima as Governor of Borno, much less Bola Tinubu as Governor of Lagos! Peter Obi certainly never encountered, in Anambra, the sorts of challenges Shettima had to face in Borno, and yet delivered in spite of all the odds stacked against him. As for comparing him to Tinubu as Governor of Lagos, titan of the South-west and phenomenon of Nigerian politics, Obi is at best still a learner, if not a complete nonstarter, I am sorry but must say.

Regarding Atiku Abubarkar, he is certainly not going to be Nigeria’s President for he cannot steal the turn of the South and expect to have a country to rule if he were to win. There is a subsisting consensus for power to rotate between North and South and it exists and is maintained for national cohesion and the unity of this country. To violate it is to treasonously threaten our corporate existence as a nation. Perhaps it would not be a bad idea for Atiku to now consider running for President in Cameroon, for a change.

I therefore stand with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. He is, indeed, a Muslim but when I look beyond the labels and take a closer look at him, he easily emerges before me as also my best Christian candidate for President in 2023! I cannot discriminate against a man who practices his religion with an enlightenment indistinguishable from the one with which I practice mine. I will not, in servitude to inanities, discriminate against a man, who, by the verifiable and readily ascertainable evidence of his accomplishments in governance, will make and leave my country a much better place than he will meet it as President. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is the best man running for President and, for our own good and the good of this nation, that is a fact we simply cannot afford to ignore.

Onokpasa, a lawyer, writes in from Warri, Delta state

OPINION: Sam Omatseye: Much Ado About A Beggar At The Golden Gate

By
The Source
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0
Sam Omatseye

By Chuka Odom

There is an adage in Igboland, which loosely translated, says if you send a slave on a demeaning errand, he has no choice than to deliver same as a slave, since in Igboland slaves don’t speak in proverbs.

However, if you send a freeman on a demeaning errand, he has a choice to deliver same as he deems fit without losing his self-esteem or for other considerations deliver the message like a slave, which is considered in our culture a great tragedy to befall a man- a slave by choice.

I think Sam Omatseye is undeserving of the amount of ink being wasted on the reactions to his diatribe against the Ibos using Peter Obi as his smoke screen.

The writer is merely a hired hireling trying to earn a living the way he knows best- doing the dirty laundry of his paymasters. He is just one of the numerous court jesters posing as journalists in our political space nowadays.

In this era of 24-hour unrelenting news cycle, one must be decerning enough to know what to consume and even what to take serious. For a long time, I have narrowed my weekly political news analysis to just a handful of the likes of Segun Adeniyi, Dele Momodu, Amanze Obi, Simon Kolawole and of course Reuben Abati, who now devotes much of his time to electronic media. These writers have the mental energy and intellectual curiosity and resource any day to present their readers with refreshing perspectives to every issue and challenge their own beliefs and ideas. Even when I do not agree with their positions, they help me reframe mine and see possibilities for a middle ground. This is the hallmark of good old journalism- to inform, educate and entertain.

Sam Omatseye is a leading member of the new brand of journalism created shortly after the era of the likes of Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu, Yakubu Mohammed and the other alumni of the Concord Newspapers.

They are the new prophets of Baal, created by the decadent, ignorant and dying political class to provide them with “prepaid knowledge packs” which come in the nature of midnight tutorials in English language, doctored speeches which cannot even be delivered coherently by their principals and myriad other services to clothe the ignorant with the garment of scholarship and class.

In ‘The Republic’, Plato created the doctrine of the philosopher – king as the model for leadership, the new “intellectuals” have reversed Plato. They prefer to accept the huge crumps that fall from the table of their overlords instead of aspiring to be kings. That essentially is the trouble with the Sam Omatseyes of Nigeria journalism and they are plenty. Ours now is not to crucify them but to help them reclaim their self-esteem and price their brain more appropriately. An intelligent person should have something better to do than engage in procuring garments for fake bishops.

At the end of the day, Sam Omatseye is neither Ahitophel whose counsel God turned into foolishness or the servant girl of Naaman, the commander of the Army of the king of Aram who advised her master against excessive pride. Mr. Omatseye and his band are merely what I call ”wind vane” journalists, carefully aligning their services in the direction of the needs of the god they serve-their stomach.

He is more like the beggar at the golden gate. When Peter saw him, he knew he does not need handouts which in any event Peter had none. What he gave him instead was more than he could ask for- self restoration. “Silver or gold neither do l have, but in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I command you to get up and walk”. And walk he did.

I do not join in throwing stones, I rather pray for a Nigeria where these journalists reduced to beggarly existence will be released from their crippling mental and intellectual servitude through appropriate pricing of their brains and professional services.

If it takes another Peter to heal these beggars, so be it.

Chief Odom, a Lawyer, was Minister of State, FCT, Abuja

Access Bank vs Odogwu: Bank Gets Court Order To Recover N26bn Debt

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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0

Access Bank can go ahead with the recovery of N26 billion from the late Chief Sunny Odogwu family, a Federal High Court in Lagos has said.

The commercial bank had in 2021 instituted a suit against the late Odogwu to recover a N50 billion loan he obtained to build a luxurious property known as Luxury Collection Hotels and Apartments located at 31 -35 Ikoyi Crescent, Ikoyi.

Used as collateral for the loan are some of his prime properties in Lagos, Abuja, Dubai, and Los Angeles.

In November 2015, a Federal High Court found Odogwu and his companies guilty of a breach of Bank-Customer Relationship and therefore ordered the sale of the Luxury Collection Hotels and Apartments used as collateral for the loan.

The judgment was yet to be executed before the Asaba Delta-born businessman died on November 6, 2018. Thus, following his demise his family members who are beneficiaries of his estate resisted efforts by Access Bank, the judgment creditor from selling the property to recover its loan.

The two parties dragged the issue for more than five years until Access Bank decided to go to court in December 2021 to enforce the 2015 judgment.

Finally on Friday, Justice Daniel Osiagor of a federal high court in Lagos dismissed the preliminary objection filed by the Odogwu family to stop Access Bank from recovering the loan.

Justice Osiagor ruled that the earlier consent judgement agreed upon by the two parties for Access to received full and final payment of N12 billion must be followed through.

The judgement was an affirmation of an earlier one by Justice Saliu Saidu, which ordered the defendants to pay its outstanding indebtedness of N26 billion.

To be paid Access Bank by the judgment debtor is N26 billion less the amount it had earlier paid.

Justice Osiagor also awarded a cost of N200,000 against the defendants.

You Have Done Us Proud; Akeredolu Celebrates Ondo-born Wrestler, Adekuoroye

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
Adekuoroye and Akeredolu

By Ayodele Oni

Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, has congratulated Ondo State-born Olympian and Nigerian Wrestling Star, Odunayo Adekuoroye, for winning Gold for the country in the ongoing 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Adekuoroye, on Friday defeated her rival Anshu Malik of India to win Gold in the Women’s 57kg Freestyle Wrestling.

A statement by Richard Olatunde, Chief Press Secretary, stated that Governor Akeredolu hailed the Commonwealth champion for her resilience and courage even under intense pressure.

The Governor noted that Adekuoroye has set a heart-warming record for herself and the country being the first wrestler to win third consecutive gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.

“Our own Odunayo Adekuoroye has recorded another feat for the country. We are particularly proud that she displayed courage and resilience to clinch her win even in the face of intense pressure.

“We are, indeed, thrilled that an Ondo State indigene has brought pride to the black race, the Nation and the Sunshine State in particular. Her victory is a collective pride for the country.

“That she showcased strong determination to emerge victorious resonates the patriotic spirit of a compatriot whose dedication to do the nation proud was unparalleled.

“Having won gold in 2014 and 2018 in Glasgow and Gold Coast, the Birmingham gold is a record made. We are delighted that she made this remarkable accomplishment on the world stage.

“We express our heartfelt gratitude to Odunayo Adekuoroye for making us proud in Ondo State and Nigeria at large. She is a reigning star that will continue to inspire upcoming generations of Nigerian athletes to achieve impressive performance.”

Lightning Strikes Two Persons Dead Near White House

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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0
Joe Biden

Lightening has killed two people, leaving two more in critical condition on Friday near the White House, police in the United States capital said.

The lightning hit Lafayette Square, a small park across the street from the White House, shortly before 7:00 pm (2300 GMT) Thursday, leaving two men and two women with “critical life-threatening injuries,” according to a statement from Washington’s fire and emergencies department.

All the victims were taken to local hospitals, but on Friday morning, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that two of them – 75-year-old Donna Mueller and 76-year-old James Mueller, both from Janesville in Wisconsin – had been pronounced dead. The other two adults remain in critical condition, police said.

A White House spokeswoman said the Biden administration was “saddened by the tragic loss of life.”

“We are praying for those still fighting for their lives,” said Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

US Secret Service and park police rushed to help the four after witnessing the strike, fire and emergency services department spokesman Vito Maggiolo said in a statement on social media.

Photos posted by the department on social media showed multiple ambulances and at least one fire truck with flashing lights at the scene.

Witness David Root told NBC he heard a “horrific boom.”“I just couldn’t believe it,” he said. “It was surreal. I have never seen anything like this in my entire life.”

He said he had been sheltering beneath a tree when he saw the lightning strike across the park.

The people “weren’t moving,” he said, so he and others ran over to give help.

AFP

OBI-TUARY: Don’t Threaten Our Son, Sam Omatseye’s Family Pleads

By
Adesina Soyooye
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0
Sam Omatseye

By Adesina Soyooye

The family of The Nation Newspaper’s Chairman of Editorial Board and Columnist, Sam Omatseye, has appealed to those upset  with a column he wrote, recently to, please, not  harm him over it.

In an article he wrote on August 1, 2022, titled OBI-TUARY, Sam Omatseye clearly, most people agree, in his overzealousness to sell the candidacy of his benefactor, Bola Tinubu, the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and to run down Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, crossed the borderline. In doing so – from the title to the the last word – the columnist also tried to incite other Nigerian tribes against the Igbo tribe. He dismissed Obi, who he clearly sees as a threat to Tinubu’s aspiration, as an Igbo agenda.

The article sparked outrage and, so, immediate and angry responses from many quarters. In a tweet, the writer suddenly alleged his life was under threat by the OBIdients – the supporters of the Peter Obi Presidential ambition.

Reacting to the deluge of negative reactions against the writer and his write-up, the patriarch of his family – the Omatseyes from Warri, Delta State – Professor Jim Nesin Omatseye – has pleaded with those offended by the article to not harm the columnist.

The Nation quoted the Professor as telling them on phone that the negative reactions were a result of “the high level of poverty, insecurity among other menaces facing the nation”, and so people are “in dire need of positive change”

Said the Professor: “I want to react to the negative reaction that is coming from many quarters as a result of the article, Obi-tuary, which was written by Sam Omatseye, who is a member of my family.

“The reaction that is trailing that publication, I believe, is as a result of what is happening in the country; the state of insecurity, the high level of poverty, the suffering of so many people. And as a result of this, people are looking for change, whether from the right or from the left.

“The regular parties have people who have disappointed a lot of people in the country as a result of these challenges and people are looking for change.

“Whatever it is that Sam has written, it’s his personal opinion to which he is entitled. But he should not be threatened by anyone because he’s doing his job as a journalist.

“It is not all the time that what journalists say, everybody agrees with. Therefore, we want to say, from the perspective of the family that he should not be threatened or harmed by anyone.

“We plead with the public and those who disagree with him, to not do anything that will be detrimental to him”

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