A recent video clip on YouTube shows Oshiomhole, in company with his chief of staff, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, and other government officials, scolding the widow for blocking the road with her goods and thereby constituting a nuisance to other road users.
The woman’s goods are impounded in the process. But, looking quite distraught, she pleads for leniency with the governor, who is casually dressed in a white shirt and a pair of trousers with a matching cap.
“Oga, please! I take God beg you. Make una help me. I beg, I be widow,” the woman begs on her knees.
Apparently not swayed by her excuses for breaking the law, Oshiomhole yells at the woman in anger. He speaks to her harshly, using uncomplimentary words.
“You are a widow! Go and die. Because your husband died, you want to kill people on the road. Why did you put these things on the road?” Oshiomole says and then orders his security aides to confiscate the woman’s goods.
At some point the woman is pushed into a waiting bus. But the governor ordered his aides to let her go. The video lasts exactly two minutes and 20 seconds.
Without mincing words, Fani-Kayode condemned Oshiomole’s comment.
“Such heartlessness. Oshiomhole tells this penniless widow that is begging him to go and die. What is it that makes some men behave in such a cruel way to others once they get power. I’m utterly speechless,” Fani-Kayode wrote on his Facebook page, as he shared the video on the social network.
Although Oshiomhole has since apologised for his behaviour and blamed his outburst on anger, Nigerians who watched the trending video say he needs to effectively work on his temper.
Those who besieged the YouTube channel where the video was first uploaded wondered if Oshiomhole had graduated from being a fearless activist to a dictator.
Some of them have asked the governor to make atonement for his “sin” by undergoing a compulsory course in ‘anger management’. By doing so, they hope that in the future he would learn to choose the right words whenever he is irritated by the actions of the people of Edo State.
“The problem is with the governor’s statement. It shouldn’t have come from a public officer of his calibre. Governor Oshiomhole really needs to undergo some training on anger management,” Busayo Olukunle says.
Also Hussain Bello thinks the governor needs to prioritise the management of his anger so that such an incident will not repeat itself.
“He is a governor. So he should work on his anger. He shouldn’t be acting in that manner in the full glare of the public. The words he spoke were too harsh. No matter how angry he must have been, he shouldn’t have used such words. That woman might have been one of those who voted for him,” he says.
Commenting on Facebook, one Dele Victor-Banjo describes Oshiomhole’s speech as one depicting him as a “heartless oppressor”, adding that the governor needs to comport himself during such situations.
Victor-Banjo says, “This video is heart-breaking. I really feel for the poor woman. Indeed, this clip really shows the governor as a truly heartless oppressor which may not be the case. Definitely, this is not Governor Oshiomhole’s finest moment. He must have been having a rather frustrating day and was bent on taking it out on someone else.”
Doyin Fash says that an anger management course may help the governor to demonstrate a sense of empathy towards the downtrodden whenever he is angered.
He writes, “I saw the footage and I feel very sorry for the poor widow. Regardless of her offence, I still expect a man entrusted with the security of the lives and properties of the masses to have demonstrated a sense of responsibility and empathy towards the poor widow. It is regrettable.”
But as the Peoples Democratic Party slammed the governor on Facebook and its Edo State Chapter reportedly offered the widow the sum of N250,000, some Nigerians made efforts to defend the governor. The latter express the opinion that the backlash, which followed the incident, could deter an elected official from giving his or her best to enforce laws aimed at maintaining order in the society.
Commenting on Facebook, one Kayode Daniel-Fowora says, “Is the governor right with his utterances? No! Was the widow right for violating the law? No. Should we look away and not follow what the law states? No. Does being a widow or widower justify anyone of wrongdoing? No. Has anger got the best of anyone of us like with Oshiomhole? Yes. Before we make comments let us think deeply. We won’t achieve any goal if we choose to symphatise with everyone’s excuses for breaking the law.”
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APC is just a northern agenda, if it was GEJ that made this statement or a PDP governor, my fellow commentators would crucify them but here they are numb cos they protect the APC vision which is bound to fail.
ReplyDeleteIt is not suprising seeing that people are so sentimental about this issue. I have a widowed mother too and that will not br enough reason for her to go and break the law and expect sympathy. The armed robbers have good reasons for robbing, the prostitutes also have like we all know. Our politicians and thieving civil servants also have reasons like many dependents on them etc. This widow broke the law and shuold be reprimanded in public so as to warn everybody. Her action may actually on the long run create more Widows or make her children orphans. On PDP, m not suprised cause a government that celebrate touting and hooliganism will definitely seek cheap publicity to propagate their way of life. It is the inadequacies of the same people in power that created a hawking widow. At the end of the day, the widow and her supporters should know that this is Nigeria and nobody really care whether you live or die. They are only taking advantage of your situation to climb the ladder and get to a position of power to impoverish us the more.
ReplyDeletespeechless. Oshiomole used to be my model since his struggle days as a Unionist. This incidence however turned me dumb to comment. But, if I will be objective, this is the wickedness of highest order
ReplyDeleteWhat law did this poor widow brake if I may ask? If only this self serving politicians had empowered poor and helpless individual like this widow, she wooldnt be on the street hawking and "breaking the law". Go to othet descent societies of the world,where leadership is anchored on citizenry well being, social security policies has helped in empowering people of this class but here, social security policies will only reduce the amount of money they can steal hence,it is no go area. This kind of leaders don't deserve our loyalty or suport. So,when you speak of braking laws,know that this kind of laws breaking will never stop as far as our self-serving leaders remain insensitive to the plights and well being of the comon man.
ReplyDeleteMr Anonymous 8.36am. You are heartless as Oshiomole. watch your comments and see for yourself. Imagine somebody telling your "widowed" mother go and die... so is that a nice thing to say or a better way to correct the wrong??? I guess you could have done worse. its not about politics, its about attitude.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 8.36 am, the issue is not whether the woman was right or wrong. The issue is the language of the Comrade governor. If you see somebody doing the wrong thing, do you correct him or tell him to "go and die"?
ReplyDeleteI watch d video and I was confused.Is dis Oshiomole I knew during NLC era? Let's 4get politics dis time I wept 4dis woman,It made me rmb wen Obasanjo visited one eastern state to commission a project he saw a woman waving to him he called her wat are ur children doing with U̶̲̥̅̊ by dis time D woman replied am a widow and I dnt av money to send them to schul,Obasanjo laugh and said am adopting one of dis children today.am not saying Obasanjo is Jesus but he shows sympathy. и̣̣̣̥☺body is perfect but let always wear human face,afterall a governor shld be a public servant,I like Oshiomole as a person but with dis statement its a pity.
ReplyDeleteThe use of words is what i see there as Bad not the action of the Governor.....The Governor shouldn't have really used those words on the poor widow if you ask me...
ReplyDeleteLai Mohammed and other APC foot soldiers should react now. Imagine it was GEJ that did it.
ReplyDeleteby correcting the woman, Gov. Oshiomole was absolutely right, but the manner in which he did it was insolence at the highest order. Everybody gets but the governor should have at least been humane and ''mannerful'' in correcting the poor widow.
ReplyDeleteby correcting the woman, Gov. Oshiomole was absolutely right, but the manner in which he did it was insolence at the highest order. Everybody gets angry but the governor should have at least been humane and ''mannerful'' in correcting the poor widow.
ReplyDeleteThis is total wickedness of the highest order, Oshiomole is like Idiamin of Uganda.For the mare fact that the woman despite securities saw/met Oshiomole face to face and begged.He would have asked her to 'go and sin no more' rather than to go and die like Oshiomole's wife.
ReplyDeleteHonestly i was shocked when i read about the comment made by the governor,i began to wonder what law could a trading widow on the street break that would warrant such heartless and insensitive comment from a man entrusted to guide and protect the people of the state.
ReplyDeleteHonestly i was shocked when i read about the comment made by the governor,i began to wonder what law could a trading widow on the street break that would warrant such heartless and insensitive comment from a man entrusted to guide and protect the people of the state.
ReplyDeleteHe is powered by the same APC demon. I so hate those fools. Meanwhile please tell that tribalistic big fool who is trying to be relevant to shut up. We don't need his ugly ass heating up our polity n sleeping with young Igbo girls. Crack head
ReplyDelete