The plan by the Governor Adams Oshiomhole-led administration to sell the Edo House in Lagos, has polarised political parties in Edo State. While the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party have vowed to shoot down the plan by all means, other parties have lined up behind Oshiomhole. PUNCH in this write-up, examines the issues in contention
The raging controversy in Edo State over a plan by the Edo State Government to sell the Edo House situated in Lagos, has, no doubt, charged the hitherto calm political atmosphere in the state.
The conflict began penultimate Saturday, when the state chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, at a press conference, vowed to employ all means within its power to stop the sale of the house, which is located on Victoria Island, Lagos.
The Deputy Chairman of Labour Party in the state, Mr. Patrick Eholor, issued a strongly-worded statement on the party’s opposition to the planned sale of the house.
While LP said it had commenced legal action to restrain the state government from going ahead with the planned sale, the Edo PDP chairman, Mr. Dan Orbih, told journalists at the state party secretariat that the party would ensure that state owned-property would not end up in the hands of those he claimed were serving the interest of some top officials of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state.
Faulting the advertised sale of Edo House, Orbih said it had become obvious that a top official of the current administration was behind it. He alleged that the government’s choice of agent was a pointer to its sinister motives, adding that a clause in the advert for sale carried in some national newspapers, to the effect that they were not bound to sell to the highest bidder, was indication of a predetermined buyer.
He said, “That property, as we speak, is valued at N3.5 billion and located in one of the choicest parts of the commercial capital of Nigeria. The property was advertised for sale and the consulting company happens to be a front for officials of Edo State Government. We ask among other things, how government arrived at the choice of a consultant and whether the process was brought to the knowledge of the people of Edo State? The process (sale) is to satisfy the craving of a top Edo State official; it is designed to satisfy the interest of a top government official, who is interested in acquiring this property. At a later date, we will openly unmask the government official and how many such other property he has acquired for himself.
“As a party, we owe it a duty to the good people of Edo State to ensure that such a fraud is not allowed to go unchallenged, more so that value of properties in the area increasingly appreciates, owing to proposed newer development in the area, including the Eko Atlantic City. The process has been predetermined to ensure that the top government official gets to buy the property and we reject it in its entirety. Government in its advertisement for sale included clauses that stated, among others, that sale would not necessarily go to the highest bidder.
“What we must say is that we, Edo PDP, are prepared to go the whole length to ensure Edo House is not sold. PDP says no. That is what Edo people want to hear and in the next 48 hours we are going to put in place measures that will ensure Edo House is not acquired by officials of the state.”
But the state government and the Coalition of Registered Political Parties in Edo State, in separate reactions, came down heavily on Orbih and others who had flayed the planned sale, accusing them of exhibiting unserious tendencies and playing to the gallery to the detriment of development in the state.
The Special Assistant (Media) to Governor Oshiomhole, Kassim Afegbua, described Orbih as part of remnant of a non-existing party, whose sole aim was to attract attention from “Abuja,” as reminder that they remain “jobless.”
Afegbua said, “A government is there to serve the purpose of the people; majority interest. It is the same way a government is voted into power. When the PDP presented their candidate, the ACN as it were then, presented their candidate, the Edo people in their majority trusted Oshiomhole more than the PDP candidate, so he defeated the PDP candidate; trounced him even in his own backyard. That means the Edo people trust Oshiomhole to take decisions that will be good for them and in the interest of the state.
“So, if we are taking a decision having weighed all the issues at state; why take the tax payers’ money from here to fix a property in Lagos, that is not benefiting Edo people, rather you repatriate the money back to benefit the majority of Edo people. If we have money to do more roads, more drainages, more walkways, and beautify the whole of Benin-City and other environs, will that not be a thing to celebrate, than keeping a property somewhere which PDP leased out to some unscrupulous elements. They sold properties of Edo State here to themselves for peanuts and we are trying to see how we can even retrieve all those ones and let them remain with us here, because they are in Benin here.
“And so, somebody will just wake up and start raising dust over nothing, just because they want to stand relevant, somebody will say he is a Labour Party representative. Where was he when they were contesting election? If he was that popular among Edo people, why didn’t he test that popularity? Then you tell me one person says he is Dan Orbih, Dan Orbih from where? What is he doing to add value from the Federal Government to the development of Edo State? What has Federal Government done in Edo State in the last five years? They should be answering all those kind of questions. One of their persons is chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority; they have minister for works, PDP; they have chairman Board of Trustees, PDP, are they not all part and parcel of Federal Government? What have they brought to bear here?”
Calling on critics of the administration to give it breathing space, CRPP state chairman, Dr. Samson Isibor, said it “viewed incessant criticism of the Oshiomhole’s moves and actions by the state PDP factional chairman (Orbih) as unnecessary, unreasonable and diversionary tactics. PDP should know that Comrade Oshiomhole was given overwhelming support and mandate that had never been witnessed, to lead the good people of Edo State till 2016. He has not disappointed Edo people up till now. He has touched the lives of many in one way or the other.”
Investigation showed that Edo House, Lagos, was initiated by the first Premier of the then Mid-West region, Dennis Osadebey, while former military administrator of the region, later Edo State, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, did much work later. The edifice was completed under the administration of Prof. Ambrose Alli, a former Unity Party of Nigeria governor, who, it was said, felt it wise to have a befitting place for the state in the then seat of the Federal Government.
According to Eholor of Labour Party, the proposed sale would deprive Edo people of over N83 million revenue generated annually by the edifice. PDP on its part placed annual accruable revenue generated by the state property at N103million.
Eholor said, “I was shocked to see an advertisement in Guardian Newspapers of Monday, September 30 where Edo House was advertised for sale by a company. I consider this as preposterous, because as a Nigerian and an Edo indigene, we need to know why our heritage is being sold. Attempts in the past by successive governments to sell the House was thwarted and I wonder why those who had frustrated such plans in the past are part of plot to sell the house.”
He continued, “You will also recall that the Chief of Staff to Oshiomhole, Patrick Obahiagbon, who was a member of the State House of Assembly then, cried wolf when former Governor Lucky Igbinedion wanted to sell the house. Why would Oshiomhole want to sell our property and he is building mansion in his home town? I am going to fight with the last drop of my blood to stop this action.”
Source: Punch
