Ishola Balogun
29 November 2008
interview
My daughter is not a criminal *There 're no elders in Ogun *Iyabo does not need Alake's chieftaincy title
It was a telephone interview but the caller had expected Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former President Olusegun Olusegun to be on the line. But it was the estranged wife of Obasanjo, Remi, instead.
And she spoke with Ishola Balogun, on the vexed relationship between her family and Otunba Gbenga
Daniel, governor of Ogun State. Excerpts:
How would you react to the alleged maltreatment of Senator Iyabo-Obasanjo Bello by people suspected to be aides of Gov. Gbenga Daniel?
I'm the mother. Sincerely speaking, people are fed up. I don't know what PDP is doing. They want this man to continue his misgovernance of Ogun state. He did not win any election.
He is terrorising people, and people are running away from Ogun State, and the Commissioner of Police is quiet.
Yomi Majekodunmi took guns to the Speaker's House, nothing happened. How can somebody take guns to the Speaker's home.
That is one of the harassments, and nothing is done about it. Even at the bus-stops, he will go there with his retinue of guards terrorising them, and PDP is not doing anything about it. My daughter is not a criminal.
They wanted to make her look so. Daniel has been harassing my daughter when nobody voted for him. He did not win election. My children and I must live here in Nigeria and in Ogun, she shouted
Can you be more specific on this allegation of terrorism, and who are those running away from Ogun state?
But you must have known this: that they have been terrorising the people of Ogun for a very long time, including my children.
I don't know. Who are those running away from Ogun State?
Two weeks ago, we read in the papers that his security details went to the church where Oba Tejuosho was holding wedding ceremony for his daughter and he insisted that his wife must sit on his seat.
The other time, he went out with Odua People's Congress (OPC) where people were running helter skelter.
I don't know what he wants. He has been terrorising people in the state. How many will I mention? And for me personally, he has been bombarding my phone, sending people to harass me as the mother of Iyabo.
Recently, we saw at the airport. He refused to greet me, and this is a man talking about my daughter not greeting him. Is that an offence? He sent his security aides to twist my daughter's arm in the church at Gov Akala's daughter's wedding.
Things cannot be going on like this. Ask anybody in Ogun. They are fed up with him. When we meet, I will show you what he was distributing about Iyabo.
Can you recall the harassment you personally got from him?
Many harassments. I recall when Stella died, I went to sign her condolence register in Abeokuta. The security details said I must not sign before the governor, in my husband's house. And then, when he saw me, he did not greet me as one of the bereaved.
We met at the airport recently. He did not greet me and he complained about my daughter, Iyabo, not greeting him. Look at that. Is that an offence? People in Abeokuta are fed up. In fact, go to Abeokuta. You will discover how people are cursing him.
Who are those you said are running away from Ogun State?
I told you of myself, and I know of people who will not like their names mentioned on the pages of newspapers. They don't want to go to Ogun.
You said earlier that Gov Gbenga Daniel did not win election. Could you please throw more light on that?
Let us leave that for now.
Nigerians will want to know.
Leave that. When the time comes, we will talk about that. But by the way, why do you think the Tribunal in Ogun stopped?
Recently, it was in the news that your daughter was asked to apologise to OGD, and she bluntly refused. As the mother, do you support her decision?
Apology for what? I mean what for? What has she done? If anybody should apologise, he should apologise to the Obasanjo family and others that he has molested, and who are older than him.
Daniel should apologise! What kind of government are we running? Is it parliamentary or presidential? I can't really understand.
Was that why your daughter was not installed as the Iyaniwura of Egbaland?
That is Alake's business, I don't know. You should ask Alake that. Whatever the governor is doing, he should stop molesting people. Have you been hearing of trouble in other states? Why is it that it is trouble and trouble in Ogun, under this governor? On the chieftaincy matter, she said she does not want. Abi, is it by force? She does not need it.
Why is it that your former husband has not waded into the matter?
I don't know. Go ask him?
Is it part of the fall out of the soured relationship?
I don't know. You can ask him. I don't know their relationship, and I don't want to know.
What about the elders in the state? What are they doing....?
Are there elders in Ogun state? There are no elders in Ogun State. If there are elders, why have they allowed Daniel to get to this stage causing trouble? There are no more elders!
So, what is the family doing to control this situation?
Don't worry about that. We have our strategy.
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