…Faults Obaseki’s hatred for Edolites that voted him into power.
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
The Benin Solidarity Movement, (BSM), a non-governmental, apolitical and socio-cultural group has frowned and condemned the manner in which Mr. Godwin Obaseki led government engaged in the demolition exercise carried out at Obazagbon-Ogheghe axis of the Irhirhi-Obazagbon-Ogheghe Road Benin City, Edo State capital.
You will recall that a curfew was declared in the area for 24 hours starting from 12am, September 29 to 12am September 30, 2022 in the Obazagbon-Ogheghe axis of the Irhirhi-Obazagbon-Ogheghe Road to make way for this exercise and also to dislodged land-grabbers in the affected areas to making room for the development of a new town project.
According to the state government , “The land measuring 1229 hectares along the Irhirhi-Obazagbon-Ogheghe Road, Ikpoba-Okha local government area of the state was acquired in 2017 for the new town project but had been encroached upon by land speculators. The area repossessed used to be the Ogba Forest Reserve at the time of the acquisition.
In a press statement issued and signed by the group President-General, Ambassador Curtis Eghosa Ugbo and Secretary, Esohe Adun condemned the act of Edo State Government over the destruction of the properties when Nigerians are passing through difficult times in view of the global economic quagmire.
Part of the statement reads, “Mr. Godwin Obaseki has being in government for close to seven (7) years now. Why did Godwin Obaseki’s government allowed innocent citizens of Edo State to invest their hard earn resources to purchase lands from the land grabbers without taken into cognizance that to erect a three bedroom flat will cost millions of naira and they are today destroying shopping malls, blocks of flats, mansions belonging to innocent Edolites that voted him into power.
“One would have expected Obaseki led government, not only erected signposts in the said plots of land with inscriptions, “Do Not Trespass, This Properties Belong To Edo State,” “Any Trespasser Does So At His Or Her Owe Risk” and also should have placed a long term media advertisement contract with all the television stations, prints and social media to create the awareness of ownership of the said plots of land by the State Government,” the group asked.
Going further, the group added that if really the Godwin Obaseki led government mean well for Edo people, the best thing his government should have done is to call for proof of ownership from the landed properties developers in the affected area and engage them with the possibility of re-purchasing the land properties and use the money realized in the process to develop nearby communities that are underdeveloped.
“These are Edo citizens who paid their taxes as at when due. These are Edolites that voted him into power and stood by him in the days of tribulations. They deserves accolade, they struggled to purchase the land unknowing to them that the landed properties they had acquired from land grabbers belong to the Edo State Government.
“We hereby use this medium to call on Edo State Government to, as a matter of urgency compensate the owners of the affected structures demolished who are tax payer in the state.
“Mr. Obaseki should note that power belongs to the people and they deserves maximum respect from the State Government and the Governor Mr. Godwin Obaseki who sworn an oath to protect lives and properties of her citizen.
