www.punchng.com/news/edo-security-chiefs-political-parties-hold-peace-talks/


OCTOBER 27, 2014 BY OKERE ALEXANDER, BENIN

Following the crisis rocking the Edo
State House of Assembly, heads of
security agencies on Monday held a
peace meeting with leaders of All
Progressives Congress and the Peoples
Democratic Party as part of efforts to
restore normalcy to the state.
Briefing journalists after the four-hour
closed-door meeting held at the state
police command headquarters in Benin,
the Commissioner of Police, Folusho
Adebanjo, explained that the meeting
afforded the participants the avenue to
identify the various issues of contention
and fashion out ways to reconcile the
two parties.

Adebanjo, who was flanked by the
Fourth Brigade Army Commander,
Brigadier-General Fidelis Azinta, and
the State Director of the Department of
Security, Bello Bakori, decried recent
political wrangling among the two major
political parties, which he said did not
“augur well for peace and security as
the countdown to 2015 elections
approaches.”

“The evident state of chaos and disorder
among the elected members of the
House of Assembly is clearly inimical to
the tenets and principles of good
democratic practice.
“It is sad that the people are being
denied of good laws and no dividends of
democracy can be achieved in an
atmosphere of chaos, confusion and lack
of order,” he said.

Speaking at the end of the meeting, the
State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan
Orbih, described the meeting as a good
process towards maintaining peace in
the state.
“Well, you can see that the two political
parties are present here. We are happy
that we have started the process of
talking about the need to maintain
peace in the state.
“I believe that it is a right step in the
right direction and I think that Edo
people are eager to have the political
parties come together for the good of
the people.”

Also speaking, the State Chairman of
the APC, Barrister Anselm Ojezua,
while commending the security agencies
for creating the reconciliation process,
expressed optimism that the move
would open other opportunities for both
parties chart a course for peace.

Ojezua said, “We have to appreciate the
concerted efforts of the security
agencies to ensure that we revert to a
peaceful situation in our state.
“We can say that we have had very
useful discussions today. One thing is for
sure, we have also resolved thagoing
forward, we are going to resort to
peaceful solutions in resolving our
differences
“So to that extent, I think we have had a
good start and I’m very confident that it
will help.