17 November 2008
Lagos — Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole last week, took positive steps to forestal the looting of funds and property belonging to the state Government. Apart from freezing all government's accounts, he caused the arrest of some persons who were caught looting government property.
Charles Ajunwa reports that Oshiomhole is still as determined as ever in his fight against corruption.
Through out his two terms of eight years as the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, now Edo State Governor preached and fought against corruption to a stand still. Whether rain or sunshine Oshiomhole was available to lead protest rallies against individuals, groups and institutions when they incurred the wrath of the people of Nigeria through their actions or inactions. Oshiomhole, who appreciates his antecedent since he was declared the duly elected Governor of Edo State in the April 14, 2007 gubernatorial election by the Court of Appeal in Benin last Tuesday, has continued his social contract with the people. Since his administration hit the ground, Oshiomhole has shown clearly that he cannot stomach or condone corruption in the way government businesses are done.
Before he became governor, Oshiomhole philosophically said that "We need a complete break from the past; we are out to set Edo people free and so, we need a completely new machinery to actualize that dream." True to his words, Oshiomhole has started taking positive steps to right the wrongs of past administrations.
Oshiomhole's personality and his track record of achievements have endeared him to the people of Edo State. Even the opposition political parties in the state have keyed into Oshiomhole's resolve to change the face of Edo State. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Edo State chapter through its leader, Hon. Samson Ekhabafe, in a congratulatory message to Oshiomhole said PDP would support Oshiomhole who belongs to the Action Congress (AC) to achieve his dream. The PDP has the majority in the State House of Assembly.
Ekhabafe in his solidarity message on behalf of the Edo State PDP said "As members of a political party that is irrevocably committed to democracy and the rule of law, we of the PDP Edo State whole heartedly agreed with the outcome of the Gubernatorial Electoral Appeal Tribunal and therefore wish you good health and God's guidance as you settle down in the onerous task of attending to the social and infrastructural needs of our people.
"Our consistent and unwavering belief has always been that who ever is in the helm of affairs in our beloved state should make peace and development his avowed commitment. As a social crusader, we urge you to make service to the people your cardinal objective in the overriding interest of the welfare of our people.
"Let us use this opportunity to call on the entire PDP members and the good people of Edo State to co-operate fully with this new administration in its desire and determination to move Edo State to greater heights."
But instead of get carried away by these congratulatory messages pouring into the Government House since he was declared the Governor of Edo State, Oshiomhole has moved to plug all loope holes where funds and property could be diverted from. Based on personal conviction, Oshiomhole ordered all government accounts operated by Osunbor to be frozen. Oshiomhole's action to freeze the accounts may have been prompted by alleged massive looting of government's treasury by the officials of the past administration whose appointments were terminated by Oshiomhole. It was also alleged that a member of Osunbor's administration whose name was not given withdrew N500 million belonging to the state government from a new generation bank in Benin City, which prompted Oshiomhole to freeze all the accounts.
Oshiomole has also intervened in the looting of government property in Benin City and Abuja. During the hue hours of last Friday, Oshiomhole, was said to have been alerted around 12 mid-night about the looting going on at the Edo State Government lodge situated along T.Y. Danjuma Crescent Asokoro Abuja. Oshiomhole was said to have quickly moved in his personal security aides to the Edo State lodge with a view of halting the nefarious act.
Apart from intercepting some of the property carted away, Oshiomhole, who was said to be visibly disturbed by the development, threatened to arrest Osunbor "if the looting and vandalisation of government property is not discontinued and the stolen items returned immediately" as the former governor and his wife were said to have visited the lodge earlier before the free-for-all looting took place.
Items like cars, doors and window blinds, tables, chairs and electrical items like chandeliers, were allegedly removed from the lodge before Oshiomhole and his security aides arrived at the Edo State lodge.
Oshiomhole's decision to move into the lodge with his security paid of as a new Hilux pick up truck fully loaded with items belonging to the Edo State Government were intercepted. The driver of the vehicle conveying the looted items at first was said to have refused to volunter any useful information as to missing number plates of the vehicle but upon further interrogation the driver was said have showed them where the number plates were kept . Consequently, the driver and another eight people found in the lodge were handed over to the police.
While confirming the incident, the Federal Capital Territory Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Jimoh Moshood, acknowledged that nine men were caught during a surprise visit to the Edo State Governor's Lodge.
"I can confirm that in response to a complaint of vandalisation, the Divisional Police Officer at Asokoro and his men moved to the lodge very early on Friday morning and caught nine men who were in the process of carting away certain items. We have confirmed that some of them were employees of the Edo State Government but, clearly, most of them are indigenes of Edo State. Investigation is still going on,"he said.
In the same vein, Oshiomhole's Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Chris Nwachukwu, said those behind the looting of the government lodge would be made known to the public.
"We have handed over the people involved in the act to the police for interrogation. They are currently at Asokoro Police Station. We are hoping that justice will prevail and that whoever assigned them to tamper with the state facilities will be brought to book and the items returned to the state. We are particularly shocked at the level of looting of public property. We believe that since the looted items were bought with tax payers money, they should not only be protected but kept in good condition.
"We were therefore surprised that those who claimed to be serving the people could go to the extent of taking away public property for private use; and we hope to check this kind of abuse of public property. The governor is committed to redefining governance in the state by ensuring that every item bought with taxpayers money is not only protected or preserved but used or deployed for the good of the greater number of the people of the state. We will never tolerate a situation where public property are converted to personal use under any guise."
Following Abuja incident, Oshiomhole told newsmen that similar incident occurred in Benin, the Edo State capital "where even spoons were taken away." He poetically said that such things happen "because rogues have found their way into government and are even called Your Excellencies,"he said.
Political stakeholders believe that the recent visit by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro to Oshiomhole in Government House in Benin last weekend, may have been occasioned by these reported cases of looting of property belonging to Edo State Government which took place in Benin and Abuja.
To forestal further looting, Oshiomhole was said to have instructed his aides to reach the Liaison Officer in Lagos to contact the Police Commissioner for adequate protection of all Edo property in the state. He was said to have warned that he might resort to the use of Edo people to protect their property, "if the Nigerian Police continues to look the other way while the looting of Edo property is carried out."
The same activism Oshiomhole employed in bursting graft during his successful eight-year tenure as the President of the NLC he has replicated in Edo State. So far, Oshiomhole has demonstrated that his administration cannot stomach corruption. Nigerians do not expect anything less from the former labour leader.
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