By EBEN ENASCO KINGSLEY, Benin City
THE power tussle between Governor Adams Aliu Oshiomhole, and former Governor Lucky Igbinedion in Edo State over control of the politics of the state is beginning to extend to the open society where some interest
groups are now taking to the streets in protest. Popular voices are now rising against the incumbent governor over what they consider his rants on Binis and Esan ethnic groups. They admonished that such ranting will no longer be condoled in the state.
The Concerned Benins, a non partisan group, at a press conference at the NUJ press centre, Benin City, recalled that in penultimate week, Oshiomhole had accused Chief Lucky Igbinedion of stealing Edo State money to the tune of $31 million. He also accused the father of confiscating revenue belonging to the monarch and state government. These accusations have resulted to social uprising in the state.
Barrister Chris Agbonwanegbe, former Commissioner of Agriculture during Igbinedion administration and leader of the group, Speaking to newsmen on the assault on the Esama of Benin Kingdom, lamented the alleged continuous unholy war waged against the Binis and the Esan ethnic groups, particularly, on Esama, as a clear demonstration of envy. He cautioned that the “time has come to resist this ugly trend that poses a threat to the unity of the people in the state.”
According to Him, “Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, like some of his elsewhile fathers in the past, is at it again. He has decided to wage war against the Binis unknown to him that injury to one an injury to all. He appeared to have designed unholy agenda to take us to the cleaners.” He said he was making a clarion call to the Binis to wake up from our slumber and assert our position as the most populous ethnic group in Edo State. “It is a call to invoke the Hammurabi’s law of an “eye for an eye”, he declared.
Agbonwanegbe further stressed that when Oshiomhole came on board seven years ago, he launched an unwarranted attack on Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, asserting that the governor forcefully dispossessed him of his SUV JEEP and a HILUX VAN statutorily allocated to him by Oshiomhole’s predecessor in office. He observed that wise counsel later prevailed that made Oshiomhole put a hurt to his public insults on Ogbemudia.
The former commissioner also reminded stakeholders how Oshiomhole publicly abused notable and famous Sons of the Binis, precisely, Chief Tony Anenih, Chief Osamede Adun, the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, and in recent time, the immediate past Vice Chancellor of UNIBEN, Prof. O.G Oshodin; noting that, even as his Afemai brothers booed and insulted him at Auchi during the local government election. He said that the governor specializes in disrespecting Esans and the Benins.
Agbonwanegbe posited that time was rife to call the governor to order to stop the public outburst and learn, even though, belated the qualities of a governor; else they would make the state ungovernable for him.