The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State condemns the wanton, unwholesome and sacrilegious demolition of the properties belonging to citizens of Edo state by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led PDP government in Edo State.
The latest are the properties belonging to Edo APC leaders including the immediate past deputy governor of the State, Dr Pius Odubu, the member representating Owan at the House of Representatives who is a former Secretary to yhe State Government, Professor Julius Ihonvbere and Mr Mike Itemuagbon, a Sports Enthusiast, all located in, Benin City, the State capital.
We recall that Governor Obaseki about this same time last year demolished the private property of another APC chieftain, Mr Tony Kabaka Adun. Unchallenged he has taken a step further, all in a bid to intimidate, suppress, hound, crush and silence his perceived enemies.
No doubt, it is part of the governor’s ‘Make Edo State Great Again’ agenda to regularly and wilfully demolish properties belonging to perceived opponents, and dissenting or critical voices in the state, in the bid to foist a siege mentality on the citizenry.
It is on record that Governor Obaseki had earlier this year revoked the Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) of the various properties, but the demolition carried out while the case is in court, is unacceptable because it amounts to a subversion of the rule of law.The proper thing is for the state government to wait for the outcome of the court process but apparently because it knew that it was pursuing an illegal agenda, it demolished the properties.
We urge Governor Obaseki to perish the idea of trying to use false claims and propaganda to justify this wicked act, as such cannot hoodwink Edo people from the truth. We also reject this constant invasion of citizen’s privacy and demolition of their properties, as it is not only wicked, but cowardly; it is a direct recipe for crisis in our state. We caution against future action in this guise, because it is borne out of hatred and political intolerance in furtherance of the larger plot by the PDP and its administration to destroy the fabric that binds Edo people, and eventually overheat the polity.
We dismiss the latterday reasons given by the Edo state government as dastardly, baseless, false and incongruous, because they fail to justify the unwarranted invasion, harassment of these innocent citizens who once served the state meritoriously, and demolition of their properties.
Edo people know how that the PDP and its government is unduly hounding, harassing and demolishing properties of citizens for daring to be among compatriots at the forefront of the quest to rescue our State from misrule and strangleholds of a cabal, that do not mean well for the people.
The Edo APC stands with Dr Odubu, Professor Ihonvbere, Mr Tony Kabaka and Mr Mike Itemuagbon, and cautions the State Government to henceforth steer clear of the properties belonging to APC members.
Signed
Chris Azebamwan
State Publicity Secretary,
Edo APC