By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
The Edo State Labour Party has called on the Edo state government and the security agents to urgently fish out those who invaded the party secretariat in Ugbekun, Ikpoba Okha local government area of the state
The Edo State chairman of the Party, Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi made this remarks in Benin city, the Edo State capital yesterday while briefing the press on the alleged destruction and forcefully taking over of the LP Ward Office
Ogbaloi said , it’s secretariat in Ward 7 , Ugbekun in Ikpoba Okha local government area of the state has been destructed and forcefully taking over by thugs suspected to be opposition party members.
According to Comrade Ogbaloi, “It has just come to our notice that our labour Party ward office at ward 7 at Ugbekun in Ikpoba Okha local government area of the state has been overrun by some persons believed to be thugs hired by opposition Parties”.
He said, the thugs have destroyed the office and driven out our members and staff out of the office and taken possession of the building. They have removed the flags of Labour Party and taken occupation of the place.
He said the party is therefore using this medium to speak to the law enforcement agents, the DSS, the Police that Labour Party is currently taunted but as law abiding citizens of this country , we have tried tenuously to ensure that we do not do anything against the law, but we want to put it on record that the unwarranted and needless provocations is becoming more and more intense and therefore we urge the agents of government as a matter of urgency to look into the matter.
He called on governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki see it as a duty to Labour Party members as law abiding citizens of the state within the sovereignty he governs to see it as his duty to provide them protection.
According to him, “This case is one case too many and we are therefore asking, to with immediate alacrity, deploy the required resources to arrest this ugly trend and then give us the confidence to operate in Edo State without molestation anymore”.
The chairman said, Not withstanding our resolve to continue to abide by the law, we are bold to say that if this provocations continue unmitigated, Labour Party can not guarantee the extent to which it can continue to condole this abrasive nature of some persons who think they are above the law within the society of Edo State.
He further stated that, We are saying this now for the whole world to hear and understand that an established ward office could be overrun daylight with members of the party driven away as if they are not citizens of this country.
Continuing, he asserted that, “Whosoever is involved in this, we are asking the government,the law enforcement agencies to immediately arrest and prosecute these persons without delay”.
We conclude by saying that a word is enough for the wise. Any further attempt to repeat this ugly incident to Labour Party would be met with stiff resistance.
He pointed accusing fingers at the opposition Parties whom he described as organisations determined to truncate the Labour Party from repairing the ruins of the country orchestrated by APC and the PDP.
He further stated that, “I do not want to run into suspicion but this can not be unconnected with the opposition Parties of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its cohort, the PDP who are head bent on truncating Labour Party’s resolve to deliver the citizens of this country from the deep poverty, sicknesses and diseases inflicted by the misrule of the PDP and now the APC government.
He said, We have resolved to ensure that never again the people of this country go through the severe and traumatizing pains of economy, social alienation we have all gone through over the years. If I have anyone to suspect it should be members of the APC and that of the PDP”, he concluded.