Oshiomhole Threatens Law Suit Against Authorities

Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has threatened to sue any authority who attempts to infringe on his fundamental human rights if his right to movement from one place to another within the country is violated again.

Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole

According to ThisDay, the governor made this known at the weekend while playing host to the management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Benin Airport Branch, who came to apologise for the barring of the governor’s chartered helicopter at the airport.

Responding, Oshiomhole disclosed that immediately after the incident, he called President Goodluck Jonathan to make some enquiries on the development, but noted that he was convinced the order to stop his helicopter from taking off from the airport didn’t come from the president.

"The next time I’m so interrupted, I will not fail to go to court and challenge the infringement on my fundamental rights to movement. We need to strengthen our democracy. We need to breathe air into our multi-party democracy," he said.


The governor, who advised the agency to abstain from partisan politics and concentrate on professionalism said: "It will be a sad day if the management of a sensitive institution that has to do with air safety joins the club of politicians and political actors. I am saying this from my experience over the cause of my stewardship here. Twice my chartered chopper has been stopped by your agents and the airport authority for reasons that have nothing to do with professional judgment but purely for partisan political reason."

Responding, the Airspace Manager, NAMA, Benin Airport, Ibekwe Ikechi said: "If things have happened before, let it be in the past, please."

Ikechi further solicited a cordial working relationship with the state government, and reiterated the agency’s readiness to further improve its operations in the Benin Airport.

It would be recalled that Governor Adam Oshiomhole’s helicopter was stopped from taking off from Benin airport by soldiers on the day the governor was supposed to attend the political rally of Ekiti State governor, Fayemi Kayode.