Why I waited 7 years before exposing Igbinedion – Oshiomhole

The governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, has explained why it took him 7 years before exposing the fraudulent activities that took place under the administration of former Governor Lucky Igbinedion, stating that he knew that the past PDP-led Federal Government lacked the moral and political will to fight corruption as the PDP Government at the federal level was also committing serious infractions.

The governor stated this a colloquim organised by the Edo State government aimed at interacting with the people of the state. It was one of the activities organised by the state government to mark the 7th year anniversary of Oshiomhole’s administration.

According to the governor, People have asked him why he did not speak for the past seven years.

“If I say it, reporting thieves to thief, what difference does it make? Now I can talk because I know that the man there, if I can provide evidence, he will act. There was no point reporting a thief to an armed robber.”

Oshiomhole insisted that the According to the PDP Federal Government acted with a lot of impunity at that time, adding that “a Commissioner of Police came to my office a few years ago and brought an instruction from Abuja signed by the IG on the instructions of the Secretary to the Federal Government, Anyim Pius Anyim that I should be stopped from intruding into the Ovoranwnem Square, that I am vandalizing Federal Government property and violating federal territories.

“I told the CP top put me in handcuffs and take me away because it is not difficult to arrest me courtesy of my size. We have been fighting all kinds of forces and I said, the water fountain you call an act of vandalism was what our people celebrate. But in the eyes of the PDP, I was vandalizing it and even as we speak, the matter is in court.

“Given the new balance of forces in Abuja, I have directed that they resume rebuilding the water fountain and to re-grass it and I also said that that place should not be turned to a car park. Until we got rid of the PDP, anybody I sent to carry out such task did so at great risk to their freedom.”

On the Land Use Charge law, the governor said he would not waste his time dealing with mercenaries but rather relate with real civil societies.

The governor said: “They have a signature House in Abuja and they know what they pay there. They have a house in Bishop Avenue in London occupying 1300 square meters, whether the one owned by the father or the son, they have properties in South Africa and they pay land use charge for those properties whether they live there or not.

“Do you think when they are fighting us in Edo, it is about enlightenment? It is not about enlightenment. Is it not of interest to you that it is student and Civil Societies who are fighting or purporting to fight against property tax. In other developed countries, it is this group that will be pushing government to increase property tax to the rich. How can a student be fighting for a rich man not to pay tax?”

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