Edo Assembly crisis: Somebody wants to use lawmakers to control me, Obaseki tells Reps Committee

* 11 members-elect to present documents, says Clerk

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the crisis rocking the Edo State House of Assembly is the handiwork of somebody who wants to use the lawmakers to control him.

Obaseki, who spoke through his Deputy, Philip Shaibu, said the 7th Edo Assembly followed due process for inauguration.

Speaking in Bénin City when the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee set up to look into the Edo Assembly crisis visited the state, Obaseki said other lawmakers-elect decided to remain in Abuja and make themselves unavailable for inauguration.

Obaseki said the current crisis was history repeating itself as 15 PDP lawmakers also cried to the National Assembly in 2010 for a possible take over.

He said he is following the path Comrade Adams Oshiomhole taught them to fight godfathers and use the money to work for the people.

Obaseki, who insisted there was no going back in the crusade against godfathers, said some demands of the lawmakers-elect could only be resolved if they were sworn-in.

According to him: “What we have here is somebody trying to use the house to control the executive. We feel that we have fought godfather. Oshiomhole led us to a strong fight to rescue the state from the hands of godfathers in 2006.

“We have joined the crusade Oshiomhole started in 2007. We will not go back on the crusade because it is helping Edo people. We can now galvanise the people because they can see roads, they can see schools and infrastructure. This is because the money that used to go the godfathers now go to the people.

“That is the path Oshiomhole gave to us and we have sworn not to depart from it. Oshiomhole has taught us to follow the path of the people. He told us to do the needful and make sure we fight The Godfather’s and take the money back to the people. That is what he taught us and we will not depart from it.

“Those ones have not been sworn in and they decided to abscond. I have contacted them and some of them told me certain things. I said we will deal with them. I said they must be members of the Assembly first before the discussion will take place.

“Somebody is interested in derailing them and the reality on ground. They are not elected to serve in Abuja. They should come to be sworn in first. I can assure you that I will bridge the gap between the Governor and the legislature. We need peace because we want to turn Edo to investment hub.“

At the House of Assembly where the Committee met with Speaker Frank Okiye and other lawmakers, Clerk of the Assembly, Alhaji Yayaha Audu Omogbai, said 11 lawmakers-elect have not presented relevant documents.

Alhaji Omogbai said the inauguration took place at 3:30pm and not 9pm at night.

Omogbai said he decided to carry out the inauguration because of tension in the state.

He said it was nine members that presentEd themselves for swearing in despite that he sent messages to 13 of them that were ready.

Chairman of the Committee, Abdulrazak Namdas (APC Adamawa) said there was hope that the issues would be resolved.

“We have spoken to relevant people involved in this crisis and all of them are willing and given us their support. They are willing to sit down and say these things should come to an end.”

The Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II, informed the Committee that he intervened in the feud between Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Governor Godwin Obaseki but the crisis escalated.

Oba Ewuare II spoke when he received members of the House of Representatives adhoc committee set up to look into the Edo Assembly crisis.

He said he was about to meet both men again when he heard about the committee.

He said, “Like I told President Buhari that I have been talking to the two parties involved, Oshiomhole and the incumbent governor on different occasions. I have invited both of them to discuss with them but things are escalating too fast.

“I was still planning to meet both of them when I heard the House of Representatives has set up an adhoc committee to look into the issue and I pray that you are successful in this task ahead.

Chairman of the committee, Abdulrazak Namdas (APC ADAMAWA) said the committee was set up to investigate the crisis in the Edo state House of Assembly and to bring lasting solution to the problem.

Speaking to newsmen at the Benin Airport, he said, “I am the chairman of the committee and we are here to do the factfinding to meet with the honourable members, stakeholders, clerk of the house and all the people that are expected to be seen; we are ready to see them today. And then get back to Abuja

“We have started the process already; this committee has been given just a week, we have met the governor of the state, we have met with other members of the house of assembly, Edo state that are in Abuja. And we are going to meet with the other ones that are here in Edo and the clerk.

“We are men of integrity, we are able politicians in our own right, we have track records to prove and men you can never question their character.”