EDO: Dismissed Council Chairmen, opens cans of worms....indicts Obaseki, Shuaibu, others

EDO: Dismissed Council Chairmen opens cans of worms...

    ....indicts Obaseki, Shuaibu, others

The three Council Chairmen of Esan west, Etsako west and Etsako east of Edo state, Hon. Patrick Aguinede, Yakubu Oshioma Musa and Alhaji Aremiyau Aligemon Momoh respectively, whose councel, West Idahosa wrote a petition on their behalf to the Edo state House of Assembly, EDHA, alleging the governor of Edo state of illegally and maliciously removing them from office, which led to the setting up of an Adhoc Committee charged with the responsibility of investigating their alleged removal, met with the Chairmen on Friday, August 21to hear from the Chairmen.

Recalling his ordeal, Hon. Patrick Aguinede, who was the first to appear before the Committee, said on the 6th of September, 2019, he received a call from the Deputy Governor of Edo state, Hon. Philip Shuaibu, inviting him for a meeting that was held at the government House in Benin, we attended what he described as an interactive meeting, along with other council Chairmen where Hon. Shuaibu told them that the governor of Edo state, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, was no longer comfortable with the conduct of the then National Chairman of Edo state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, as such, the deputy governor charged all the council Chairmen to utilise all media platforms in denigrating Comrade Oshiomhole.

Continuing, Hon. Aguinede said, the deputy governor again called him at a later date

to tell him that his conduct was not in tandem with the instructions that he gave to all the council Chairmen. That, according to Aguinede, was the beginning of the problem that led to his removal.

Hon. Aguinede said; "...on the 7th of October, the Commissioner for Local government, Hon. Monday Osaigbovo, delivered a letter of suspension to me, which he said was on the directive of Governor Godwin Obaseki on account of a fraud to the tune of Nine Million, thirty seven thousand, eight hundred and ninety six thousand, fifty Kobo...."

Aguinede went on to say that his accusers claim that there are three thousand bikes in Ekpoma, and each pay a ticket fee of 200 naira daily to the coffers of Esan west local government, as such, by their calculation, the Nine Million naira that was realised as revenue, was never remitted. That arithmetic, Aguinede said, is wrong, and that, he wondered how they arrived at the 3000 bikes that they claim operates in Ekpoma, as several bike operators from Irrua, Igueben, Uromi, also operate in Ekpoma and bikes do not pay operation fee in any of these local governments, and also pay same in Ekpoma.

Hon. Aguinede, who produced and displayed the receipts of the remittances from Esan west, duly signed by the Edo state executive Director, Tax compliance,  Emmanuel Okoduwa.

The Chairman of the Edo State House of Assembly adhoc Committee, Hon Washington Osa Osifo, addressing the Petitioners and other critical stakeholders  said, though the Committee had duly received copies of Statements of the  grievances of the Chairmen  from  their Counsel, they were as required by Law to be  interrogated  to ensure fairness, equity and transparency to all Parties involved .

Hon Washington Osa Osifo observed that though the Committee may not be able to invite all the Parties to tender physical, oral and conservative evidence, because of the exigencies of the time  the Committee will depend on the Documents provided ,which many emanated from Government House duly bearing official seals and stamps.

Hon Osifo  urged the Media to be objective in their coverage  of the proceedings at the Adhoc Committee, and not doctor any of the utterances that will emanate from the committee's assignment, so that Edo People whom they are mandated to serve can take informed   position on the matter.

He condemned what he called failure by the Executive to give the  Chairmen as contained in the Petitions exhaustive opportunity to be heard before their summary removal  from office adding that their findings must be in the best over all interest  of the State.

Other Members of the Committee , including Hon Dumez Ugiagbe ,Ovia North East Constituency, Henry Okaka, Owan East, and  Ahmed Oshioma ,Etsako Constituency all asked the Petitioners to ensure they are tendering appropriate, basic and verifiable  documents as their findings and report will be strictly be based on the authenticity of claims and submissions .

In their various submissions, the other two Chairmen, of Etsako west, and Etsako east that are also maliciously removed from office, denied the accusations levied against them and that  their removal lacked due process ,adding that they were being victimized for not supporting the Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki and his Deputy, Philip Shuaibu to fight Other senior members of their Party ,particularly the immediate past National Chairman of the  All progressive Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomole .

Aguinede expressed regrets that the Council only received three point four million Naira while the Technical Partners of the Edo State Government and others  Agencies as well as unions took the remaining part of the Money.

Aguinede also told the Committee that he was accused of purchasing a property for about thirty  Million Naira through an Estate Agent who is not a Government official while the transaction was carried out before the Governor and himself assumed office adding that the titles of all his Properties including costlier ones are all declared in the records of the Code of Conduct Bureau .

The Chairman Etsako west, Hon. Yakubu Oshioma Musa, said he detected  massive fraud in the salary of staff  through a  forensic Audit, a misdemeanor which escaped the Information, Communication Technology Agency, ICTA, unit in Government House and the offices of the Auditor General and Accountant General of the State adding while the culprit and his cohorts were  being prosecuted, he was issued a suspension letter and sacked.

He said he had previously been terrorized by the then Chief of Staff,Taiwo Akerele, the Governor and Philip Shuaibu who all had initially threatened to truncate his tenure as he is not their prefered Candidate for the position of the Council chairman.

On his part , the Chairman, Etsako  East Local Government, Alhaji Aremiyau Aligamen Momoh, said he was accused of not remitting the internally generated revenue especially from BUA Group of Companies and illegal award of Contracts  and execution of Ceremonial  Gift items.

He said the Monies he is  accused of being  misappropriated were  duly receipted for after they were  directly paid into the Councils Treasury while the award of the Contracts and  their execution  were also officially endorsed and signed by the  States Director of Procurement ,Mr Henry Idogbo. Alhaji Momoh provided copies of all the receipts backing up his claim, before the Adhoc Committee for sighting.

He added that the Governor is currently commissioning the Projects he executed during his time in office, as parts of his Campaign strategy, while he is being persecuted.

In his reaction, Chairman of the Assembly Adhoc Committee, Bar. Washington Osa Osifo, strongly condemned diversion of Local Government Funds to cronies of those in charge of the state Executive thereby depriving the Councils capacity to execute its fundamental duties to the Masses especially provision of Security, Motorable Roads and other  basic necessities at the grassroots .

The Committee has two weeks to submit its report for necessary action .