Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has
informed the international community that
Nigeria as a sovereign nation will always uphold
its constitution.
He said this while reacting to the United Nations,
European Union and others, over the hanging of
the four armed robbers sentenced to death by
hanging by the Supreme Court, the nation’s apex
court.
Speaking at the second annual seminar on the
“Role of Public Complaints Commission in a
democratic Nigeria’ organized by the Public
Complaint Commission, in Abuja on Thursday,
the governor maintained that anyone who
deliberately kill another deserves the capital
punishment.
“We are part of the international community and
my views must just be heard like the views of
any other person. I am concerned about death, I
am concerned about the sanctity of the human
life and even as a Catholic I am even more
fanatical about the sanctity of human life, he
said.
“As a governor and I believe it is the statement
of the European Union he (Ambassado David
Macrae, head of delegation to Nigeria and
ECOWAS European Union) is talking about the
rule of law, the rule of law is the fundamental of
human right.”
He said during his swearing-in, he swore to obey
the Nigerian constitution nd not resolutions,
communiqué and recommendations of the
international.
“The day I was sworn in, I subscribed to obey the
constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
there was no suggestion to me that I shall obey
the resolution of the UN or the European Union.
Continuing, “I do understand that there is no
such thing as universal values. As we speak
nations and humans battle ideas on the basis of
different value system and it will be abuse of my
own right and my own value if some one thinks
that his views are superior to my own value and
views.
“I do not think that my values are less human
and at any rate I will act according to my value
that is why I took vow and I say to my brother
Ambassador in trying to understand how best to
protect the sanctity of human live, we must ask
question is it better to pardon those who kill? If it
is so, will it lead to more people being killed or
should we tell the people that if you kill you don’t
have the right to live,” he said.
The governor who said that Nigeria is a sovereign
nation that struggled to gain independence so as
to live according to the norms, values and
culture of the people, regretted that those
Nigerians who tried to raise eyebrow over the
decision to execute the robbers, live on foreign
handouts.
“I did not do what I did in Edo may be because
President Goodluck wants me to do so, if
President Goodluck Jonathan tells me to go and
execute one that does not require it I will not. I
will tell him I am the head of the state
government.
“The reason is that both the president and
myself are the creation of law and we are to
abide by the Nigeria constitution. A guy went to
rob, after robbing his victim he was not done, he
brought out a cutlass and killed the guy, he was
not done, he severed the head from the body and
butchered the parts and buried them in different
locations in other for people not to know that
somebody was killed.
He said the police carried out a thorough
investigation and the law took its cause.
“They arrested this guy, took him to take them
where he buried the different parts and the
matter passed through the Edo State High Court,
to the Appeal Court and to the Supreme Court
“I have what is called prerogative
of mercy but as a catholic I asked
myself the ten commandments said that thy
shall not kill and God who has the infinite right to
forgive decided to create hell side by side
heaven, those he forgive go to heaven those he
did not forgive go to hell and if God should create
hell, who am I so I refused to exercised my
prerogative in favor of the robber so that the
order of the supreme court could be carried.
“But there are some idle lawyers who read law
upside down. I am happy the bar is here, the bar
must be guided by the code, when the supreme
court has pronounced a judgment somebody
goes to a High Court to challenge the decision of
the supreme court by a lower court, even we
know a lower court can’t question the supreme
court,” he said.
Governor Oshiomhole said it would amount to an
abuse of his own value if somebody should think
that his own value was superior to his
(Oshiomhole), adding that as a sovereign nation,
Nigeria defined its national interest and that no
other country should define the interest of the
country to Nigeria.
“Why should we respect the right of a criminal,
what of the right of the victim. In Edo State, if
you kill and the law finds you guilty and convicts
you, you will not live,” he said.
On the controversy trailing the Nigeria Governors
Forum election won by Governor Chibuike
Amaech of Rivers State, Governor Oshiomhole
said that he was amazed over the comments of
the President of the Nigeria Bar Association,
Okay Wali.
“The NBA, I have a complain against them. We
have had vibrant leadership and an activists as
NBA Presidents. I saw the NBA president lending
support to people who are not ready to accept a
small electoral defeat, he said.
“A man (Jona Jang) came from Jos and the other
one (Chibuike Amaechi) came from Rivers to
campaign for votes, the Jos man got 16 votes,
Rivers got 19 votes. Any day I see the new
president, the current president of the NBA, he is
an embarrassment to the NBA. He needs to
purge himself of those reactionary pro
establishment agencies.”
Reacting to the disagreement between the
Federal government and the National Assembly
in the passage of the Supplementary budget, the
former Labour President lamented that the non
release of the appropriation was affecting his
credibility as a governor.
“I heard that the Presidency and the Minister of
Finance who is the Coordinating Minister of the
Economy are aggrieved that the National
Assembly has refused to entertain or legislate on
the supplementary budget, the National
Assembly is saying it has passed the budget.
“My own fear remains how to address the
challenges facing Edo state. The ministry of
finance has not released my money in full. From
January till now more than N1.8 billion
appropriated to Edo is being delayed by Abuja
that is affecting my credibility as a governor to
fulfill my commitments to my contractors.
“If as a governor I can’t get my statutory
allocation on the basis of the rule of law, I am
aggrieved so if Public Complaint Commission can
help me. If we don’t manage the system well, we
are going to lose credibility before the people.”
He praised the FCT Commissioner of the PCC,
Chief Obunike Ohaegbu for the reformations that
he had brought to the commission, calling on
relevant authorities to further support the
commission.

Source http://dailypost.com.ng/2013/07/05/capital-punishment-i-swore-to-obey-the-constitution-of-nigeria-not-yours-oshiomhole-carpets-un-eu-others/

This governor 10 much.

oshiomole is a great man, one of the best governors in the country currently. I like people who are not afraid to take a stand, even if they stand alone.

It takes courage 2 talk 2 ds yeye so called international ppl...mr Comrade only u one na GUYS...nothing do U...

Pizzanatty: It takes courage 2 talk 2 ds yeye so called international ppl...mr Comrade only u one na GUYS...nothing do U...

As if they didn't execute criminals in USA and some other nations.