‘Appointment of suspected murderer as minister insult on Yoruba’

A body, the Coalition of Oodua Self-Determination Groups (COSEG), has described the appointment of Mr. Jelili Adeshiyan by President Goodluck Jonathan as the Police Affairs Minister, as an insult on the Yoruba.
“It is also an attempt to shield him and his cohorts from prosecution over the death of the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige,” the group added.
In a statement by its Chairman and Secretary, Ifedayo Ogunlana and Rasak Olokoba, at the end of its monthly meeting where the state of the nation was discussed, the body described the appointment as an attempt to pervert the course of justice.
According to the group, the appointment of Adeshiyan is not only an insult on the people of Yoruba land, but also a disservice to the memory of Chief Bola Ige. A man, who is an aide of Senator Iyiola Omisore, known for violence and brigandage, cannot be trusted in such a position. He is still under investigation for the murder of Ige, yet he is a minister in charge of a government agency. This calls to question the anti-corruption crusade of the Jonathan administration.”
It said: “We have noticed the hatred President Jonathan has for our people. This is why a suspected murderer could be appointed as a Police Affairs Minister.”
COSEG decried the Senate for the hasty manner it confirmed the nomination of the suspected murderer, despite opposition from the three senators from Osun State.
“We are confused on how a man standing trial for murder could have scaled the screening of the security as well as that of the Senate.
“It is also worrisome how our security system works if a suspected murderer, who has a case in court, could scale through security screening. This is why government has been unable to stop Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast,” the group said.
It went on: “The appointment of Adeshiyan is not only mischievous, but also reckless, immoral, anti-people and a dangerous trend in the political development and appointments because he who asks for equity must come with clean hands.
The appointment of Adeshiyan is flawed. The Jonathan administration cannot continue to scorn the late Ige, an ex-Justice Minister.”
COSEG said it would resist attempt by the President to allegedly use the minister to rig the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State, adding that it would protect the sanctity of the electoral process.