Obaseki, APC disagree over land-grabbing

As Edo Forum tasks APC, PDP on devt

The Edo State government, on Tuesday, described as futile, efforts by the All Progressives Congress in the state, targeted at condemning the state’s aggressive effort against land-grabbers and other non-state actors responsible for disrupting land administration in the state.

A statement signed by the Special Adviser, Media Projects to Edo State Governor, Mr. Crusoe Osagie flayed the APC saying that the opposition party in the state sees nothing gainful in cleaning up a defective and unlawful system that empowered thugs and miscreants, who had hitherto intimidated and fleeced unsuspecting citizens in land and related transactions.

The statement hailed Governor, Godwin Obaseki’s proscription of Community Development Association (CDA), noting that the land grabbers were unscrupulous elements who, “ dispossess people of their landed property, fomenting trouble that had scared investors from our state and discouraged many Edo sons and daughters, especially, in diaspora from investing in the state until recently.

Dismissing the alleged land grab accusations by the APC, Osagie further stated, “Where was Edo APC when the state government increased the minimum wage from N30,000 to N40,000 and harmonised the pay of pensioners in the state? Is the impact of this landmark initiative not felt by a lot more people in the state? Why didn’t they speak up at the time this feat was recorded?”

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State had accused the PDP government in the state led by Mr. Godwin Obaseki of allegedly been handicapped in checking land-grabbing activities among others, saying that, “Edo people know for a fact that the reason why Land grabbing is a major problem in the state is because the Obaseki government is the biggest culprit.”

Meanwhile, a group, Edo Forum of Patriots yesterday tasked the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates for National Assembly elections to work towards the rescue of Edo State from it’s descending relevance in the comity of States, to one of prominence.

A statement signed by Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo, Chairman, Interim Management Committee of Edo Forum of Patriots and made available to newsmen in Benin city said Edo state is fast on the verge of losing its pride of place in the country’s socio-economic and political developments.

He said, “ In the last five years, Edo State has been in the news for one political crisis or the other, and less or zero attention has been paid to existential threats of herdsmen menace, disproportionate corporate social responsibility by oil and gas multinationals, cultism and youth gangsterism. The circle of crisis cost our State the exalted office of the APC national chairman, as well as the chairman of almost inaugurated NDDC board.

“ It has been five years of God’s grace, and it was high time senatorial synergies is built among the three senators, and nine House of Representative members for rapid socioeconomic transformation of our State.As you move into campaigns, it should be intellectually based, it should be oiled by patriotic will as opposed to chauvinistic tendencies and personal agradizement. “

He urged parties to imbibe the spirit of town hall engagement with the electorate with a view to making far reaching inputs into the legislative schemes of their candidates declaring that Edo people will hold candidates and parties accountable for any unpalatable electioneering conducts in the build up to the general elections.