Man Killed Over 3rd Term

[Richard Akindele]

DISAGREEMENT between two security men attached to Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, over the proposed tenure extension for the president and governors yesterday turned fatal with one of them allegedly taking his colleague's life

Daily Champion learnt that Mr. Nwigwe Uzoma lost his cool and shot dead Mr. Sulaiman Rafiu at close range following a hot argument on the desirability or otherwise of third term.

The tragedy struck even as the Presidency said that not only God will decide whether or not President Olusegun Obasanjo would stand for third term.

Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode who disclosed this said amending the 1999 constitution, among other considerations were crucial on the issue.

However, an eye witness to the deadly Lagos argument told our correspondent that Rafiu died on the spot, before help could come his way.

He said that the incident happened shortly before down while other security men were monitoring the premises.

Blaming Power Holdings of Nigeria for the light outage at LASU main campus during the incident the witness who pleaded anonymity said Rafiu would have not died instantly as the darkness that enveloped the place made it difficult to rescue him.

When contacted on the issue, the Lagos State Police Command through its spokesman, Mr. Olubode Ojajuni, confirmed the incident with a vow to unearth the reason behind the tragedy.

Ojajuni, a Deputy Superindent of Police (DSP) said that investigation revealed that a "securityman at first gate of LASU reportedly handed his official gun to Uzoma and left the security post to urinate.

He however claimed that Uzoma accidentally shot Rafiu in his chest.

He said that the incident was immediately reported to the police at Ojo for prompt attention.

He said deceased body has been deposited to a public morgue white investigation continued adding that both security men have been arrested.

When Daily Champion visited the campus at about 2pm yesterday there was blood stain on the spot as people spoke in low tones on the incident.

Asked about a report in the Washington Post that quoted Obasanjo as saying that God would play a part in helping him decide whether to stand again, Femi-Fani Kayode said it was "not accurate to put it in the context in which it was put that it would be decided by God, as if to say there were no other considerations. We are not ashamed of that fact that we are a nation of believers... we believe that God rules in the affairs of men," Kayode told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

"What he said is that God is not a God of abandoned projects. What he was referring to are the economic policies of this nation. What he is referring to are the economic reform programmes that this administration has set in place," the spokesman explained. "It does not necessarily mean that God is going to use him in the future." Obasanjo has not publicly said he wants to stand for another term, but there has been speculation that behind the scenes he is trying to secure a third term.

In a related development, the Baptist Church has opposed the speculated third term agenda of the government, warning that such was capable of tearing the country apart.

Executive Secretary, Central Baptist Conference, Rev. Nathan Nwachukwu who is also the pastor in charge of the United Baptist Church (UBC), Jos, while responding to questions from news men in Jos, argued that amending the 1999 constittion was a normal thing for any active country, but warned that the president must resist the temptation by "political jobbers" to drag him into such.

Rev. Nwachukwu spoke when he led a delegation of his church members to express appreciation to Chief Solomon Lar for his assistance to the church during its 40th anniversary as well as the dedication of its new building complex last month in Jos.

On the third term issue, the priest said that if the third term must be inserted in the 1999 constitution, it must not start with the present administration since according to him, "government is a continuum which does not end with any one person".

He said: "No leader ever exhausts his programme of action; what is important is that successive regimes carry on with such lofty ideals and programmes. It is not necessary that the third term, even if desirable, should start with this current administration. Mr. Prsident is a wise man who will not do anything that will tear Nigeria apart. One has to be very cautious against allowing some selfish individuals who don't wish this country well to have their way. But I know the president is wiser," he insisted.
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