Edo government demolishes Odubu Ihonvbere’s properties
There are different reactions as the Edo State Government demolishes Odubu Ihonvbere’s properties in an attempt to silence all APC threats.
On Wednesday the 24th of March, the government carried out the demolition of the houses of ex-Deputy Governor Dr Pius Odubu, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, and Mike Itemuagbon. The Edo State Government, with the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) condemned the action and tagged it as ‘wanton, unwholesome and sacrilegious.’
In a statement, the Edo State Publicity Secretary, Chris Azebamwan, stated that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s choice to ‘regularly and wilfully demolish properties belonging to perceived threats, and dissenting or critical voices in the state,’ is meant ‘to impose a besiegement mentality on the citizens.’
The Statement is as follows:
‘We remember that Governor Obaseki around this same time last year destroyed the private property of another APC chieftain, Mr. Tony Kabaka Adun. Because he was not challenged he has decided to do it again, all in a bid to intimidate, suppress, bully, crush and silence his perceived enemies.
‘No doubt, it is all part of the governors plan to ‘Make Edo State Great Again’ so he will regularly and wilfully demolish properties belonging to perceived threats, and disagreeing or critical voices in the state, in the bid to impose a blockade mentality on the citizens.
‘it has been recorded that earlier this year, the Governor revoked the Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) of the different properties, but the demolition took place while the case was in court. This is not acceptable because it goes against the rule of law. The right thing the state government should have done was to wait for the results from the court process, but because it knew that it was pursuing an agenda that goes against the law, it destroyed the properties.
‘We urge the governor to stop the idea of trying to use wrongful claims and propaganda to justify his act of wickedness, as such cannot deceive Edo people from knowing the truth. We also do not accept this repeated invasion of citizen’s privacy and demolition of their properties, as it is not only evil, but cowardly; it is a direct recipe for disaster in our state.
‘We caution against future action in this same manner because it is fuelled by hatred and political intolerance in furtherance of the larger plan by the PDP and its administration to ruin the material that connects Edo people, and eventually overheat the civil order.
‘We reject the former reasons given by the Edo state government as wicked, baseless, untrue and incongruous because they do not justify the unnecessary invasion, harassment of these innocent citizens who once served the state meritoriously, and destruction of their properties.
‘Edo people are aware of how the PDP and its government is unfairly, harassing and destroying properties of citizens for daring to be among patriotic citizens leading the quest to rescue our state from bad rulers and strangleholds of a cabal, that doesn’t have the peoples best interest at heart.
‘The Edo APC stands with Dr. Odubu, Professor Ihonvbere, Mr. Tony Kabaka, and Mr. Mike Itemuagbon, and warns Edo State Government to henceforth avoid the properties belonging to APC members.’
Similarly, the Owan Group who was also concerned, described the destruction of Professor Ihonvbere’s property as a total political vendetta that will definitely turn against the Governor at the right time,’ saying that Governor Godwin Obaseki does not regard the rule of law.
Ohis Ahmed, the spokesperson for the group , strongly condemned the demolition, and said the group is bothered about the governor’s disobedience to the rule of law.
He stated with valid evidence available to them that Professor Julius Ihonvbere, the present member representing Owan Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, has a C of O and a building plan from the Obaseki’s administration.
‘Obaseki is on a revenge mission against opposition in the state and has carried out his initial threats to demolish properties belonging to APC leaders in the state.