ITV Benin, Gutted By Fire. Hmmmmmm Politics.

This is a statement made by the Edo State PDP publicity Secretary " just a few minutes after 10.30pm yesterday, Saturday 7th of March, 2015, I received a telephone call that shook me to my bone marrow . It was the tragic news of the "bombing" arson attack at the premises of Independent Television And Radio at Iguosa village in Benin City. I was informed that the studio and transmitting rooms of the TV station had gone up in flames about 45 minutes earlier. I was informed that the "fire" started from the top/roof of the room and within minutes had engulfed and destroyed all the equipment, machines and gadget in the room.

All I could mutter was He won't succeed...I said they want to shut us up...they won't succeed. They don't want people to hear or see us before the elections...I repeated...he won't succeed. He had previously boasted that he will deal with ITV if they don't stop carrying PDP stories. He had called ITV names for daring to tell the truth and expose their fraud. I say, they won't succeed. ITV will be up even before the fire is put out! As I hung up the phone, I called my chairman Chief Dan Osi Orbih who asked all the right questions. When he hung up, he made some "verification" calls and called back. He then asked me to reach as many people not necessarily PDP members, but men and women that treasure the freedom that the GEJ led federal government has guaranteed Nigerians. The freedom of speech and association that is taken for granted at the federal level but trampled upon, suppressed and denied Edo people by the APC led state government. A government that has repeatedly shown its intolerance towards opposition and opposing views. I was directed to SMS the good people of Edo State to pay a solidarity visit to the management and staff of ITV at 7.30am in the morning of Sunday, 8th of March, 2015... Just slightly above 8 hours after hearing the Tragic news! Of course I took calls and received confirmation SMS all through the night. We all agreed on one thing...Edo is in wrong hands!

By 7.00am, I was at Chief Dan Orbih's residence and the good people of Edo began to troop in. Some went ahead to Iguosa while in a convoy of over 50 cars, we made our way to ITV. It was Tragic! We met the charred remains of the states of the act studio. Nothing Remained! I have no pictures to show, because there was nothing left! With tears in my eyes, I wondered, why so much hatred, so much envy, so much wickedness! It is tragic! There is no doubt in my mind that it was an "attack" as the possible entry point was identified. The fence barbed wire and block work had been tampered with and compromised. It is arson alright, it's the perpetrators that is still unknown! However, just like the semi-literate suspected sponsors of this attack, those who executed it didn't know that to cripple a TV station the transmitters should be the target, studios are replaceable in no time! It will cost money, but ITV will be back before the elections and as usual, tell the truth and expose your fraud! All Glory is to God!- EDO STATE PDP PUBLICITY SECRETARY.