Embattled Edo Deputy Speaker Return Vehicles, Begs Colleagues

The Lawmaker had claimed that the official vehicles were given to her by former Governor Adams Oshiomhole, an allegation the governor denied and urged her to return the vehicles to the assembly. Ativie in her letter to the House said she is taking steps to recover the fourth vehicle from the buyer and apologized to the House for any inconveniencies the delay may have caused them. Replying her letter, the Clerk of the House, Mr James Omoatanman, who acknowledged the receipt of the cars noted however that the leadership of the House is still expecting the fourth vehicle, a Lexus jeep 2016 model which according to the letter was the official vehicle of the Speaker and further advised the former Deputy Speaker to make available the spare keys of the returned vehicles. In another development, the House yesterday raised alarm over what it described as the rising state of killings, armed robbery and abduction in the state particularly in Esan South East Local Government Area of the state and passed a resolution calling on security agents and the state government to check the situation which has led to the death of a Police Inspector in Ubiaja. The resolution followed a motion sponsored by the member representing Esan South East constituency, Festus Edughele Igbelekotor, who cried that members of his constituency have been under siege, “they can no longer go their farms, a police officer who went to help was killed in the process and the burial is tomorrow (Wednesday). “After he was killed, the next day a man went to his farm with his bike and was never found. As we speak, his body has not been found and even his bike. As if that was not enough, the following day, a young man who is an Okada rider was celebrating the new bike that he bought, only on his way home, he was attacked by armed robbers, he was killed and his body was found covered with leaves. “As we speak Mr Speaker, the report by the police was that all through the night they were inside the bush searching for kidnappers who have taken over my community. It means that apart from the flood disasters we are experiencing my people can no longer go their normal businesses, it is really scaring.” While reacting also, the Majority Leader of the House, Mr Asoro Rolland, lamented the killing of “my brother Mr Efosa Omorogie in Oben by unknown gunmen. Mr Speaker I want to appeal that both the DSS, Police and the army should help and beef up security in the entire state not only in Esan South East because the killing is going on everywhere.”]]>