The governor of Edo Stae, Adams Oshiomhole, has revealed that it took seven years for him to squeal on the illegalities perpetrated by the Lucky Igbinedion administration, because he knew that the past Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government would have frustrated the efforts to bring his predecessor to account for his actions in office.
Oshiomhole spoke at a colloquim organised by the state government to interact with the people of Edo State on the topic: “The Edo Project: Defining the Issues and addressing the Challenges-Post 2016” as part of activities to mark his 7th anniversary in office. As stated by him, “there were things I could not do under PDP."
He added: “People asked me, 'why didn’t you speak all these years?'. If I say it, reporting thieves to thief, what difference does it make? Now I can talk because I know that the man there, if I can provide evidence, he will act. There was no point reporting a thief to an armed robber.”
The governor said the PDP Federal Government acted with a lot of impunity at that time, saying “a Commissioner of Police came to my office a few years ago and brought an instruction from Abuja signed by the IG on the instructions of the Secretary to the Federal Government, Anyim Pius Anyim that I should be stopped from intruding into the Ovoranwnem Square, that I am vandalizing Federal Government property and violating federal territories.
“I told the CP to put me in handcuffs and take me away because it is not difficult to arrest me courtesy of my size." Lolz @ courtesy of his size! He continued, "We have been fighting all kinds of forces and I said, the water fountain you call an act of vandalism was what our people celebrate. But in the eyes of the PDP, I was vandalizing it and even as we speak, the matter is in court.
“Given the new balance of forces in Abuja, I have directed that they resume rebuilding the water fountain and to re-grass it and I also said that that place should not be turned to a car park. Until we got rid of the PDP, anybody I sent to carry out such task did so at great risk to their freedom.”
Speaking on the Land Use Charge law, the governor said: “I am not going to waste my precious time dealing with mercenaries. We are ready to engage with the real civil societies. They have a signature House in Abuja and they know what they pay there.