Frontline human activist, Chief Patrick Eholor, has condemned in strongest terms the action of Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State over the hasty revocation and demolition of a former deputy governor’s property and eleven other persons in Government Reserved Area (GRA), Benin City.
Briefing newsmen in Benin City, activist chided Mr. Obaseki for initially accepting the land gift from former governor Adams Oshiomhole and later claiming to have revoked his own Certificate-of-Occupancy as an excuse to demolishing political opponents property.
Known as the Patriot, Eholor said Governor Obaseki’s hollow claim to civility is not tenable for refusing to exercise caution and wait for the outcome of the court case which the claimants of the land have already instituted at the court of law.
“Godwin Obaseki is complacent, aprobating and reprobating at the same time. He’s playing the role of the judge and the jury all in one. He thinks because he is an executive governor, he can do anything and get away with them since he has immunity.
“How can he be talking about returning the land Oshiomhole gifted him many years ago back to government. Why did he not reject it from the very beginning if he was honest?
“If Obaseki knows that what Oshiomhole was doing at that time was wrong, he would honestly have said ‘well, I’m not going to take the land.’
“Besides, from the information I gathered, the matter is already before the court instituted by the former deputy governor, Dr. Pius Odubu. Why is the governor acting as if he’s above the law?” Patriot Eholor queried.
Mirroring the security crises in the country, the activist derided the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as nonexistent and a colossal failure for its inability to protect lives and property as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
“Those at the helm of the nation’s political leadership have no idea what governance is about. They are just exchanging Ghana-Must-Go bags full of money among themselves, leaving business of governance unattended to.
“It took President Buhari many years to listen to our calls to sack the service chiefs who have been enjoying the continuation of war with Boko Haram terrorists, bandits and other insurgent groups.
“The President even rewarded them with ambassadorial appointments within 24 hours of their exit from office. Even the ‘legislooter’, that’s what I called them, who initially told President Buhari to sack them hurriedly cleared all the service chiefs with the speed of lightning after money changed hands. What type of country is that? the activist asked.
