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| Governor of Edo State, Adam Oshiomhole |
• He
allocated Edo land to his father, alleges Oshiomhole,
• You’re a sinking man – Igbinedion
By Simon Ebegbulem, Benin-City
THE current war between Governor Adams Oshiomhole
of Edo State and former governor Lucky Igbinedion has taken fresh dimensions with
the two leaders trading allegations. The development has tended to heighten
tension in the area two groups of residents took to the streets last Monday and
Wednesday protesting government’s recent introduction of the land charge
policy.
Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Chief Lucky
Igbinedion
The anti-land charge protestors who marched through
major streets in Benin-City were allegedly sponsored by the People’s Democratic
Party (PDP) in the state.
But in a counter protest, a multitude of youths
said to comprise students and civil society organizations backed the land use
charge policy and commended government over what they described as its efforts
to collect such taxes from the rich to assist the poor.
The group of solidarity protesters marched to the
House of Assembly complex and Government House where Oshiomhole addressed them
and described Igbinedion’s alleged unlawful withdrawal of $31 million from the
government coffers as clear abuse of power.
Oshiomhole also said that the Igbinedion family had
thrown caution to the winds, using every available means to wage war against
him because he recovered over 200,000 hectares of land illegally by Chief
Gabriel Igbinedion during the tenure of his son as governor.
According to the Governor, “let me thank all of you
for coming out in huge numbers to express your solidarity, your support and
your endorsement of my stewardship here at Osadebey Avenue.
Let me assure you, I will continue without fear of
man, but with the fear of God to provide leadership that will deliver
prosperity to the great people of this great state. To be able to do that,
everybody, everybody born of a woman who lives in this state must be subjected
to the rule of law.
“In the interest of Edo people, even the ones yet
unborn, I want to be remembered after my stewardship not only for roads,
hospitals, for schools and much more importantly, I want to be remembered as
the man who brought an end to exemption.
There is no more exemption in Edo State. I want to
be remembered as the man who took from those who have bastardized, raped and
privatized the resources of Edo State, used our money to build their private
universities and they walk around our streets when they are supposed to be in
prison.”
Alleged land deals
According to Oshiomhole, “let me share with you
some of the things that are going on and why they are angry. I did not promise
to make everybody happy, what I promised was to make the majority happy. I will
publish records in black and white and Edo people will be shocked how they have
been raped.
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| Governor Adam Oshiomhole and Lucky Igbinedion |
You are here looking for a small parcel of land and
Lucky Igbinedion, former Governor here gave out to his own father, Gabriel
Igbinedion over 200,000 acres of government land. They took that
land on the ground that they will use it for mechanized farming.
That is what is in the books but what is on ground
is that, Igbinedion takes this land and gives this land to cocoa farmers, some
of them from Edo, some from Yoruba land. These cocoa farmers will farm and
sweat to grow their cocoa on government land, Igbinedion will sit in his house
on which he is not paying ground rent and is collecting royalties.
Is Igbinedion the Oba of Benin? The great Oba of
the great Benin Kingdom never subjected his people to that level of
exploitation. Can you accept that one chief collects royalties as if he is a
traditional ruler.
Based on the powers vested in me, as the elected
Governor of Edo State, I used those privileges to revoke the over 200,000
hectares of land that the Igbinedion, the son gave to Igbinedion the father. I
revoked it and I returned it to government.
“You need to hear as students of AAU how Igbinedion
raided Edo State resources. You know that in AAU, we have College of Medicine
where we are training doctors. In 2000, when Lucky was in government, AAU was
producing Medical students.
These medical students are supposed to be attached
to a hospital for their clinical. The Igbinedion family decided that AAU will
not use the state-owned hospital. They decided on record that our Central
Hospital will be reserved for Igbinedion University.
Some of you will remember that AAU medical students
had to go to University of Jos Teaching Hospital for their clinical at their
own expense. When UniJos could no longer take them, they made arrangement to
take them to Uniben.
When the authorities found out the capacity of
Uniben could not accommodate them, AAU students were stranded. In the end, they
ended up with Irrua Specialist Hospital. Now, what did they do with the Edo
state-owned Central Hospital?
Igbinedion the son, entered into agreement with
Igbinedion the father that the Central Hospital shall be reserved for medical
students of Igbinedion University, Okada. So, whereas Edo State Government owns
a university, their own students were denied the use of Edo State-owned
hospital. Edo State hospital was obliged to teach students of Igbinedion
University, Okada.
They agreed that Igbinedion University will pay
some fees to the Central Hospital. The amount to be paid was not stated. Every
year, the taxes that you pay were being used to provide facilities for the
Central Hospital to teach the students of Igbinedion University and they paid
zero cost. Edo State Government paid the lecturers, the doctors and provides
all the consumables in the hospital.
“So I revoked it and directed the Commissioner to
write to terminate the MoU and to demand that Igbinedion pays about N30 million
per year for those periods and I directed he should be charged to court. That
is the fight.
“I fight with clean conscience to secure the
collective future of our people. My motives are not personal. My mission in
government is not to bring hardship to anyone. I just want to correct what is
wrong and get going. I am not here to look at yesterday but if you over do it
and you continue, we need to put an end to it.”
Oshiomhole’s allegations baseless
But former Governor Igbinedion in an advertorial
carpeted Oshiomhole describing him as a sinking man Igbinedion said that
allegation of illegal deduction of money had no basis even as he accused
Oshiomhole of a deliberate policy of grounding the industries he established
when he was governor.
However, Oshiomhole in his 7th anniversary as
governor on Thursday responded to the allegation that he failed to build
industries arguing that the industries the Igbinedion administration built were
never meant to function, rather to siphon money.
“The previous government is quick to tell us that
they built a factory in Ehor, Casavita at Uromi, Fertilizer at Auchi and Ikpesi
Fruit Juice Factory. The intention of that government was simply to use these
outfits to siphon public funds to private pockets. They were never intended to
function and they never functioned one day even under their government,”
Oshiomhole said.
Curled from: VANGUARD
