By Okhide Em’ya David
Human right Activist, Patriot Patrick Eholor has asked Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State “to stop trying to detract Edo people” with what he termed a ‘frivolous probe’ of the N30 billion Benin stormwater project initiated by his predecessor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole.
Mr. Godwin Obaseki, had said in Benin City, on Monday that the N30 billion Benin stormwater project by the previous administration was a ploy to defraud Edo people.
The governor who made the submission while inspecting the Textile Mill Road catchment of the project, lamented alleged “poor construction work done by the Adams Oshiomhole administration,” but Eholor quickly dismissed that.
He said Obaseki’s threats to institute a probe against the former governor “was not a serious claim as he was a principal officer of that administration and must probe himself too, if he really meant it.”
Eholor said the governor cannot be serious, since he was a part of the Oshiomhole administration, and as a matter of fact, played a major role of serving as Oshiomhole’s Economic Adviser.
Alleging that Obaseki’s plan was to institute a kangaroo probe in order to detract the people of Edo State, the human rights activist wondered why Mr. Obaseki appealed his own (Eholor’s) lawsuit against the state during his first tenure.
He also wondered why the governor appealed another recent case he (Eholor) won against the government and asked the governor to focus on governance, “especially the porous security of the state, instead of trying to detract the people through an insincere move to probe a project allegedly used to dupe he state that he was part of.”
“Has Mr. Governor forgotten so soon that I had instituted a case against the former governor, Adams Oshiomhole, himself and Clement Agba? And he went to court appealing the case, after I won them in court? So what is he now trying to prove?
“Is he trying to detract us, so that we don’t talk about the park he said he is going to build? So that we don’t talk about Gelegele Sea Project? So that we don’t talk about Central Hospital? So what is he really trying to prove?
“Don’t also forget that I took him to court to explain to Edo State people about the capital flight, why he was taking our juicy jobs away to contractors in Lagos and Bayelsa, which he has not explained. So, he must include himself in this probe, because you can never be a judge in your own court.
“Don’t also forget that even the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) that they did with the Edo University, Iyamho, he was also part of it. Everything that Oshiomhole did within his administration, Governor Obaseki also has to explain to us.
“They also have to probe him, and tell us the roles he played in all, as the Economic Adviser of Oshiomhole’s administration. We don’t want to turn this thing to a Rochas and Uzodimma affair, because if two elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffer”.
“We are not supporting any corruption, but we are not also going to be supporting any witch hunting. You cannot dispose of a godfather and now become the new godfather”.
“So, this can never happen in our state again, we have grown beyond that. So whenever anybody wants to talk in our State you use your foot soldiers to threaten and outrightly fight that Person, yoking him with taxes that don’t exist, and trying to prove that you are an emperor, or that you are a god. You are not God.”
Patriot Patrick Eholor said he was not out to support Mr Adams Oshiomhole, or to support the ruling All Progressive Congress APC, but to make sure that the affairs of Edo State are conducted in the right perspective.
His words: “If anything I say or do today is wrong, I think Obaseki has to prove me or take me to court, because I remain, and I speak on behalf of One Love Foundation, which is extended to all Edo people in general ‘.
