The Edo Youth Vanguard has carpeted the Edo State Government for presenting a false narrative to the people over the night inauguration of the State House of Assembly.
In a statement by its Director of Research, Documentation and Information, Osaro Osagie, the group posited thus:
“The Edo State Government haunted by its political oddeysey has completely lost it. On a day there was numerous casualties on the Benin – Auchi Road including the kidnapping of three lawyers and prevalence of dead bodies on the state highways, the state government choose to act as Emperor Nero who choose to pursue rats when Rome was burning, spurning out half truths and outright lies to cover up their blantant rape on democracy, perpetrated on the day of the night inauguration.
For the avoidance of doubt the factual trajectory of the tale of two houses is as follows:
On the night of the purported inauguration of the puppets who parade themselves as members of the Edo State House of Assembly at least 15 vehicles of Operation Wabazigan-the henchmen of the Edo State Governor masquerading as a special security outfit, cordoned off the Edo State House of Assembly premises in a scene reminiscent of the Nollywood blockbuster ‘the Last Vote’, a white bus sauntered into the house filled with 8 out of 24 members elect of the Edo State House of Assembly with one of them who went to buy suya in Ihama, GRA, Benin City, wearing knickers. The pictures from the House which indicated the inauguration was done at night is a symbol of shame and shabbles, confining all who participated in that treist into the dustbin of history, as villains of democracy. It was to be a night of fun for the night inaugurators as they proceeded to the house of their principal at Dennis Osadebey Avenue by the Civil Service Club, drinking champaign from glasses dripping with filthy lucre, till the early morning of the next day.
The next day, bouyed by the bravado displayed a night before at the night inauguration of the house , the Escort Commander of the Governor, CSP Okoro, led men of the Operation Wabazigan (which we now call Operation Aziba Aziba), operatives of PUWOG (official thugs) and the regular thugs to invade the prestigious Golden Tulip Hotel, in the heart of Etete, GRA, Benin City, where the other 14 legislators elect were staying for their safety, having been haunted all around town by the goons of the traducers. The dogs of destruction and death were let loose and as they say safety first. The legislators elect had to seek self preservation and leave the state that has been turned into a theatre of war, as their security was under tremendous threat.
The Judgment from the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, never said anything about the purported inauguration at night. It only talked about the proclamation. The proclamation letter was published after the purported inauguration and the House of Assembly was inaugurated as a secret cult initiation ceremony. A proclamation comes before an inauguration, but in everything that is Obaseki there must be a treacherous twist.
As at the time the House was purportedly inaugurated till when they illegally stated they declared some seats vacant, it is not up to 180 days even if you counted both legislative and non-legislative days. At the matter before the Federal High Court, Abuja, the House of Assembly brought their votes and proceedings for the day, they purported to have declared the seats vacant and they indicated on oath that they didn’t declare the seats vacant, just as INEC came to say they are not aware any seats have been declared vacant.
You can only declare a seat that has been occupied vacant. For a seat to be vacant it must have been occupied. For a seat to be declared vacant you must give the occupants fair hearing and follow the procedure provided by law to do so.
According to Section 91 of Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended ), 4th alteration, a House of Assembly cannot be more than 40 members and it can not be less than 24 members and the business of the House must be done at the House of Assembly. At present we do not have a State House of Assembly but charlatans charging about in Government House. More than half of Edo State is unrepresented at the State House of Assembly. The House of Assembly operates as a parastatal of Government House. That is why the Secretary to the State Government(SSG) is issuing a statement in a House of Assembly that purports to have a standing Committee on Information. There is separation of powers of governance, for the purpose of balance of power.
The Clerk of the House was caught on tape saying he was forced to inaugurate the House and he narrated in the same tape the circle of violence that took place on the night of the purported inauguration. Two other members can and deposed affidavit, indicating they were kidnapped for the inauguration, on the day of night inauguration.
The chicken has come home to roost. The Code of Conduct has beamed its searchlight on the can of worms that is spewing all over the Edo State House Assembly. The Bureau invited the main night actors of the night inauguration, but like actors in a circus, the Clerk and the Speaker of the House have gone to Court to stop the activities of the Bureau. It is said that a clear conscience fears no accusations. So if they knew what they did was right, why are they scared of being scrutinized or why did they leave the case in the Court of Justice Oviawe who is known to be sympathetic to their cause. Who will forget in a hurry the attempt of Justice VOA Oviawe, who is sitting over the House of Assembly matter at the High Court in Benin City, to use an ex-parte order to crush the APC in Edo State. Justice Oviawe should know that history will judge him one day.
While the House is moribound, Edo State bleeds on all fronts as the Governor can be likened to the American actor, Wesley Snipes, in the Hollywood Blockbuster ‘the Demolition Man’, as though he said he will create 500 thousand jobs, he is demolishing businesses houses, hotels, shopping malls etc, all for personal vendetta that have led to the losing of thousands of jobs without creating any.
Edo State is in a full blown dictatorship. The House of Assembly is a House of Jesters and you now have a Judiciary who says, they are ‘collaborators’ with the Governor, forgetting that the Governor has cases in their courts.
The Edo State SSG called the 14 heroes of democracy rogue legislators, a gutter language unbefitting of the office and the person of the SSG. The SSG is however on a voyage of dramatic irony and self indictment because in this matter it is the SSG, the Governor and the 10 men that sit at night that have acted like rogues.
It is even ironical, that in one breath, the SSG will say their seats have been declared vacant and in another breath he will call them the 14 legislators elect, a self conflicted way of not being able to hide the truth.
