Oshiomhole, dialogue committee member in shouting match

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(Nigeria) Edo State governor, Mr Adam Oshiomhole and a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue, Thursday, engaged in a shouting match, following Oshiomhole’s position that the committee will not achieve anything meaningful.
Oshiomhole had in his presentation at the public hearing of the committee that the proposed national conference, will take the country to nowhere, based on past experience.
Oshiomhole, who took the stage shortly after the Isoko Ethnic group had made its contribution, said he objected to spending huge public funds on a wasteful venture, adding that during the tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo, money was spent on similar conference and at the end, nothing came out of that conference.
While the governor was still making his speech, a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee, Col Tony Nyiam (rtd), shouted him down.
But Oshiomhole insisted that he must be allowed to air his views publicly and he continued despite comments from Ijaw groups at the conference.
“I will be surprised if anything changes. Sincerely, I have no business to deceive or mislead anyone. I believe that the outcome of this conference will not be different from that of other conferences we had in the past.” But the attack from Nyiam continued, he was restrained by other members, who were taken aback by his action, as he screamed that the governor should shut up.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue, ondemned the disruption of its proceedings  in Benin City by some persons while Governor Oshiomhole was making his remarks.
A statement by the Chairman of the Committee,  Sen Femi Okurounmu, said that the committee took exception to the ``unruly conduct’’  one of its members, who joined the crowd in shouting down the governor.
It said that it was “unequivocally committed to the principles of democratic discourse’’, noting that in spite of the disruption the proceedings ended smoothly. We want to emphasise that the committee will listen to all shades of opinion in the areas of its mandate  and will not henceforth condone the kind  of unacceptable behaviour  we witnessed in Benin City today.
“The committee wishes to express its sincere appreciation to the government and People of Edo  State for providing support to the Committee in  its assignment in the state.’’
The remark by Oshiomhole that the conference was ``waste of resources’’ did not go down well with some participants, who shouted the down governor.

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