The All Progressives Congress has accused the Department of State Service of partisanship.
The APC, through its National Publicity
Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said in a statement on
Thursday that the members of staff of the organisation, especially its
spokesperson, Ms Marilyn Ogar, needed proper education and exposure.
Corroborating its allegation of DSS’
partisanship, the party condemned the selective complaint against its
National Publicity Secretary in Osun State during the August 9 election.
The statement reads in part, “How can a
spokesperson for such a sensitive government agency not understand that
the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides for freedom
of movement?
“On what basis is Ms. Ogar questioning
what the APC’s National Publicity Secretary was doing in Osun State when
the same fellow has not questioned the presence of Obanikoro, Chris
Uba and the likes in the same state. Or are those people from Osun
State?
“Was it not publicly announced that the
APC was moving its headquarters to Osun State to give support to
Governor Rauf Aregbesola? Why didn’t Ms. Ogar question the presence of
President Goodluck Jonathan or Vice-President Namadi Sambo in Osun State
when they came too if she was being fair?
“It is sad that Ms. Ogar has turned
herself to the spokesperson of the PDP by echoing what that party had
said on the Osun State election. This is unprofessional and
irresponsible.”
The party said that the claim by Ogar on
a national television that APC leaders were arrested in Osogbo for
loitering on the eve of the election depicted the height of ignorance
and amounted to an embarrassment to the DSS.
It added, “The spokesperson for the
agency, Ms. Ogar, should be properly trained and given the necessary
exposure so she can speak with knowledge and facts, instead of making
baseless and incautious statements.
“It is sad that a spokesperson for the
DSS does not know there is no offence called ‘loitering’ under Nigerian
laws. For her to now go on national television to say the APC National
Publicity Secretary was arrested for ‘loitering’ in Osogbo on the eve of
the governorship election is the height of ignorance and constitutes a
great embarrassment to the DSS.
“It is even worse that the so-called
spokesperson, ever so glib, would make a joke out of such a faux pas by
an agency that is supposed to be non-partisan and highly
professionalised.
“How on earth can any human being not be
disoriented when 15 hooded gunmen arrest him/her and point their
weapons at his/her head as they did to me on that night in Osogbo?”
