http://www.punchng.com/news/election-violence-fears-politicians-ceos-move-families-abroad/


In a bid to avoid being caught up in
violence that may erupt after the
February 2015 general elections,
politicians, many chief executive
officers/ chairmen of companies, top
businessmen and wealthy Nigerians
have started moving their families
out of Nigeria.

Over 800 persons, including 10
members of the National Youth
Service Corps were reportedly killed in
the North during the violence that
trailed the 2011 general elections.
Investigations by Saturday PUNCH
showed that some apprehensive
politicians and top members of the
business community started
relocating members of their families
abroad late last year.

Many, it was learnt, are still moving
their families out of the country.
According to findings, medical check-
ups, short vacation, among others,
are being cited by wealthy Nigerians
as reasons for their trips.
Aviation experts told one of our
correspondents that passenger
traffic in Nigeria is usually low
between January and March but that
is not the case this year.

The CEO of a travel agency, who
identified himself as Damian and did
not want further details about
himself or his company in print, said
many of his clients had made bookings
to travel abroad for fear of being
caught up in violence.

Damian said, “It is true that there is
an increase in the number of
transactions we receive; many people
are making bookings to leave the
country.

“People are afraid; they fear that
there may be violence after the
election. Those making travel plans
are mostly businessmen. I am also
running away. I will leave before the
election and return after the person
who emerges as the president of the
country has been sworn in.”
Similarly, a popular travel agency on
Lagos Island told one of our
correspondents that many managing
directors/chairmen of some
companies in Nigeria had booked their
flight tickets in anticipation of
leaving the country before the
general elections.

One of the senior workers with the
company, who simply identified himself
as Thaddeus, said aside politicians who
thronged the firm to buy tickets,
many companies’ MDs and
businessmen had bought tickets from
the firm between November 27, 2014
and January 14, 2015.

Thaddeus named the United States,
the United Kingdom and the United
Arab Emirate as the most preferred
destinations of the MDs.

He said, “Some politicians made
arrangement to travel out of the
country after the election, while
many of the MDs chose to leave the
country with their families a week
before the poll.

“Before the political parties’
primaries held late year, we procured
tickets for the families of some
politicians and we believe that they
must have left the country by now.
The politicians started procuring
their tickets from the first week of
this month.”

The development, according to some
travel agents who spoke with our
correspondents, boosted their
businesses.

In the South-East, some prominent
Igbo politicians and businessmen have
also decided to go for “vacation
abroad.”

An aide of one of the members of the
executive committee of Ohanaeze
Ndigbo – the apex Igbo socio-political
organisation – said his boss was
among those planning to leave the
country.

The aide who pleaded anonymity said,
“I am aware that some politicians
have already concluded arrangements
to travel abroad after the election;
some of them relocated their families
out of the country many months
ago.”

A travel agent, Mr. Nwaoka Iwe, who
told one of our correspondents that
he represents an Abuja-based travel
agency in Enugu, also spoke of
arrangements being made by
politicians and businessmen to travel
out of the country.

Iwe said, “The period after elections
is when most of our big clients travel
out of the country just like 2011, but
we expect more businesses this year
because of the fear by politicians
that there may be trouble next
month.”

Also in Kwara State, many politicians
have booked their flights in advance.
An aide of one of the governorship
aspirants confirmed to Saturday
PUNCH on the condition of anonymity,
that his boss would not wait for one
day in Nigeria if there should be
violence after the election.

Aides of five prominent politicians in
Kwara State, who pleaded not to be
named, also said their principals have
asked to book their flights.

Commenting on the development, the
Chief Executive Officer, Gadeshire
Travels & Tours, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo,
confirmed that there had been an
increase in ticket bookings in recent
times.

Adebayo said, “Some wealthy
Nigerians moved their families during
Christmas holidays and we are not
expecting them back home until after
the elections.

“Their decision not to come back may
be as a result of their anticipation of
crisis or post-election violence, based
on the experience of the last
election.”

In the same vein, a worker with the
travel agency in Surulere, who
identified himself as Yunus, said the
rush for tickets had led to slight
increase in price.

Politicians, others speak

Though the National Chairman of
Labour Party, Dan Nwanyanwu, said
the election would be violent-free, he
asked Nigerians to rise and stop
whoever foments trouble from fleeing
the country.

Nwanyanwu, who spoke with one of
our correspondents on the telephone,
said, “Nobody can cause problem for
the people and run away. All
politicians must remain in the country
and address any challenge that may
trail the election.

“Nigeria belongs to all; a few group
of people should not be allowed to
make the country hellish for the
masses. So, we will stop whoever
causes problem for Nigeria from
fleeing the country.”

In his reaction, the National Publicity
Secretary, Afenifere Renewal Group,
a pan-Yoruba socio-political
association, Mr. Mr. Kunle Famoriyo,
condemned politicians for sending
their families abroad and making
travel plans in anticipation of post-
election violence.

Famoriyo described such politicians as
the corrupt ones who have stolen the
country blind and are afraid of a
backlash.

He said, “Such politicians will run
away if they know that they have
looted the country’s resources and
that their hands are not clean. They
know that they have skeletons in their
cupboards and are afraid of the
nemesis.

“It is condemnable because if they
know their hands are clean, they
should be with their people no matter
what. It is the rich that will run away;
I’m not running away. I can’t say
that I will run away because there
may be violence. A General stays with
his soldiers at the battlefront. We
should stay and build this country
together. Most of our politicians
don’t have any milk of humanity in
them so they will run away.

“Can a poor farmer planting his
cassava peacefully run away? Can a
bus driver run away? Where will he run
to? It is the rich and those who have
milked the country that will be
planning to run away.”

A human rights activist, Jiti Ogunye,
said it is necessary that politicians
refrain from manipulating the
electorate and election results to
avoid violence after the elections..
Ogunye said, “The first condition for
credible election is the activation of
electoral justice. Politicians should
learn not just to preach peace but to
do justice. If they manipulate the
election results, there could be
reaction of violence. So I advise that
they play by the rules so that we can
enjoy peace in this period. They should
not rob the electorate of their
decisions.”

Non-indigenes flee northern states

Besides plans by politicians,
businessmen and others to seek
temporary refuge outside the
country, Saturday PUNCH also learnt
that several non-indigenes plan to
relocate from the North during the
elections.

One of such people, Ebenezer Adegoke,
who works with a telecommunication
company in Katsina State, said he had
rented an apartment in Ibadan ahead
of the election.

Adegoke said, “You cannot predict
what will happen after this election. I
heard many stories of people getting
killed in previous post-election
violence. That will not happen to me.
“I will relocate my family to Ibadan a
week prior to the election. We will not
go back to Katsina until after the
polls. At least in Ibadan, I will be
closer to home.”

Also an Akure indigene, Idowu
Omolagba, who resides in Kano, told
Saturday PUNCH that he had
relocated his family to Akure.
Omolagba, who is a commercial
motorist in the Northern commercial
city, said, “I won’t return to Kano
until after the election.”

Similarly, Abuja-based Chinyere Uche
returned to her home town in Ngor
Okpala, Imo State, a few days after
Christmas, but she has no intention
of returning to her base.

The thirty-year-old mother of three
said she would stay back in her village
until after the general elections.
She said, “I did not come back home to
vote; in fact I did not register in my
village. I only decided to return home
because of threat that violence may
trail the next general elections.”

A Gombe-based businessman, Mr.
Christian Utta, also brought his
family from Gombe to his Mbaise home,
Imo State.

Utta said, “I don’t want to be caught
napping. By then, we may not even get
transportation to come home. I am
not praying for violence but it is
better to be late than be late.”
Meanwhile, the Ohanaeze Youth
Council, has called for the
establishment of special polling booths
for Igbos who are displaced from their
places of residence in the North by
Boko Haram .

OYC said since the Independent
National Electoral Commission had
concluded plans to set up special
polling units for internally displaced
persons in the North-East, “equity
and justice demand that similar
gesture be extended to other victims
of Boko Haram forced to return to
their home states in the South-
East.”

National President of OYC, Mazi
Okechukwu Isiguzoro, who made the
call in Umuahia, said the failure of
INEC to oblige the request would
“convince OYC that the allegation
that the electoral commission wanted
to rig the forthcoming presidential
poll is true.”

Isiguzoro contended that there has
been mass exodus of Ndigbo residents
in the North who have continued to
flee the region because of escalating
activities of insurgents.

The group therefore, gave the
Chairman of INEC a seven- day
ultimatum to correct the imbalance
or resign his job.

Olamitisoji:
http://www.punchng.com/news/election-violence-fears-politicians-ceos-move-families-abroad/

In a bid to avoid being caught up in
violence that may erupt after the
February 2015 general elections,
politicians, many chief executive
officers/ chairmen of companies, top
businessmen and wealthy Nigerians
have started moving their families
out of Nigeria....

mymadam:


"Please don't go, don't go, don't go away... I'm begging you... please do stay". East, West, North, South... home's best. I AM STAYING. God bless Nigeria.