Oshiomhole Denies Blaming El-Rufai For Banditry, Killings In Kaduna

Former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has dismissed reports online that he accused Governor Nasir El-Rufai of being behind the increase of banditry and kidnapping in his state.

Naija News reports that some section of the media had accused the former APC national chairman of blaming the Kaduna governor for the state insecurity in a speech he delivered on Thursday, April 29, 2021, at the 2nd Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) National Peace and Security Summit, held in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Reacting in a statement he personally signed, the former NLC president stated that he never made reference to El-Rufai in his speech.

Oshiomhole called on Nigerians to disregard attempts by some online platforms to connect him to the statements and positions he at no time promoted.

Oshiomhole said: “In the body of the report, the writer maliciously misrepresented the speech delivered by me at the 2nd Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) National Peace and Security Summit held in Abuja on Thursday April 29, 2021,” he said in a statement he personally signed on Friday.

“As rightly reported by all the mainstream National Newspapers and Television Networks that gave media coverage at the event, I blamed the worsening security situation in the country partly on the massive closure of factories over the years by successive governments.

“Specifically, I mentioned the closure of Textile factories in Kaduna, Kano, and Lagos; the closure of Dunlop, Michelin Tyre factories and Bata, Lernards Shoe factories. I opined that closure of factories in Kaduna alone affected over 35,000 workers and possibly the same number in Kano.

“At no time during the entire speech did I make reference to Gov. Nasir El-Rufai or the retrenchment of civil servants by the Kaduna State Government.

“There was no consonance of opinion in the position I advocated as being responsible for the heightened security challenges in Nigeria today and that of the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Fhilibus Wabba as can be clearly deduced from the accurate reports of the Newspaper correspondents and electronic media personnel that were present the summit.”