Ogun Ex-Commissioner Accused Of Impersonation At CAN Debate

There was a mild drama at debate/interactive forum organised by Ogun
State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria for the
governorship candidates of political parties in the state as a former
state Commissioner of Information, Mr. Sina Kawonise, was accused of
impersonation.

The public debate was held on Wednesday at the African Church Solution
Camp Ground, Sam Ewang Estate, Abeokuta.

It was attended by the governorship candidates of six political
parties: Senator Akin Odunsi (Social Democratic Party), Gboyega Isiaka
(Peoples Democratic Party), Pastor Benjamin Onafadeji (National
Conscience Party), Prof. Femi Bamgbose (All Progressives Grand
Alliance) and Reverend Olufolabi Adebayo (KOWA Party), while Kawonise
appeared for the Labour Party instead of the party's governorship
candidate, Abolaji Sunmola, who was absent.

The ex-commissioner sat on the high table, reserved for the candidates.

He had participated in three sessions of the debate talking about why
he wanted to be the governor, how he would ensure religious harmony
and whether or not he would return the mission schools to their
owners.

The scenario changed as he dramatically disappeared when the Chairman
and the Director-General of the Labour Party, Olabode Simeon and
Arabambi Abayomi respectively, arrived at the venue and accused
Kawonise of impersonation.

They stormed the church to protest the invitation of Kawonise as the
governorship candidate of the LP in the state.

It took the organisers of the debate, who initially declined the
request by the LP state chairman and chiefs to ease out Kawonise, to
leave the forum.

The CAN leaders held a short closed-door meeting with the LP leaders,
which ended in a deadlock.

While the meeting between the organisers and the LP leaders was on, an
emissary was sent to quietly ease out Kawonise and he immediately left
the venue of the debate.

The visibly angry LP chiefs later returned to the auditorium and took
their seats, still fuming.

Meanwhile, the governorship candidates all agreed on the return of
mission schools to their owners.

Odunsi, who said he was a product of the CMS Grammar School, Lagos,
stated that the mission schools played important role in inculcating
moral values in the young ones in the past.

He noted that the state erred when it took over the running of the
mission schools from the religious organisations.

The SDP standard bearer assured the people that if elected, his
administration would return the schools to the missionaries.

Bamgbose argued that the government should not only return the schools
but also subsidise their running.

Similarly, Isiaka, who said he was part of the immediate past
administration, which returned the schools to the missionaries before
the current government reversed the process, stated that if elected,
his administration would hand them back to the religious bodies within
the policy that would be fashioned out.

Isiaka added that within the first 100 days in office if elected, he
would convene an education summit to address the various challenges
confronting the education sector in the state.
--PUNCH