· Accuses ex-governor and father of looting Edo state
Where there is no evidence, there is no history. But where evidence exists, history becomes a glory or curse. Ask Lucky Igbinedion, former governor of Edo State and his father, Gabriel; just recently, both father and son became the butt of virulent flak from incumbent governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole. Governor Oshiomole yesterday attacked Lucky and his father, Gabriel, accusing them of looting the state’s resources and exploiting residents of the state. Speaking to students of the Ambrose Ali University who paid him a courtesy call at the government house, Oshiomole said the former governor and his father ought to be in jail claiming that, while they were in office, Lucky unjustly allocated 200, 000 hectares of government land to his father. The governor said he has since revoked the allocation and that the decision generated bad blood between him and the Igbinedions.
“I want to be remembered as the man who took from those who have bastardised, raped and privatised the resources of Edo state, used our money to build their private universities and walk around our streets when they are supposed to be in prison. Edo people will be shocked how they have been raped by the gang masters of original fraudster.
“I will publish records in black and white. I am going to publish all the assets, government-owned lands that Igbinedion the son has ceded to Igbinedion the father, properties of Edo people. Lucky Igbinedion gave out over 200,000 acres of government land to Gabriel Igbinedion, his own father. They took that land on the ground that they will use it for mechanised farming but Igbinedion took this land and gave to cocoa farmers, some of them from Edo, some from Yorubaland. These cocoa farmers will farm and sweat to grow their cocoa on government land yet Igbinedion will sit in his house on which he is not paying ground rent and be collecting royalties,” said Oshiomhole.
According to the Edo governor, his predecessor’s alleged misconduct contravened the rule of law. “Is Igbinedion the Oba of Benin? The great Oba of the great Benin Kingdom never subjected his people to that level of exploitation. I revoked the land and returned it to government and they got angry and have been fighting me. Igbinedion believes he is above the law but I told him that he must obey the laws made by government. If he faults the law, he will go to prison. Everybody born of a woman in this state must be subjected to the rule of law. If he does not want to obey those laws, he will have to relocate,” he said.
