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——-Want Mike Ogiadomhe Drop From PDP BOT Membership
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City.
A Socio Cultural Group, Edo PDP Concerned Group, (EPCG), ,has explained why it will be necessary for the Peoples Democratic Party,(PDP), to either retain Chief Tom Ikimi or other member of the Party as a member of the Board of trustees rather than retaining Mike Ogiadomhe as a member.
In a release made available to journalists in Benin City, and signed by the chairman, Moses Odianose, said, Tom Ikimi was chairman of a Political Party , APC, when he was approached to come and join PDP with the recognition that he was chairman of APC, and chairman of NRC before.
” PDP has a lot to gain from him, especially a man that formed APC, founding member of several political parties in this new republic.
Over and above , the constitution of the PDP on who can be member of BoT is specifically spelled out.
He stated that, those that can be BOT members from Edo State must be from the three Senatorial District, each Senatorial District must have one Representative and one must be a woman.
According to him, the most qualified person to be in BoT is Herbeta Okonofua, who was a one-time woman leader of PDP, and till date, nobody has surpassed her achievement as a woman leader of the party.
” She was stepped down when she was supposed to be BOT because of the contributions of Danjuma to the party. Daisy Daniuma was now brought from Benin at that time to make way for her.
“As of today, if we now say the members we are going to pick in the state, especially from that zone, outside Tom Ikimi because for you to be member of the BoT, you have to serve two term by election of three years and after that it is given to another person.
We believe that Ikimi shouldn’t be appraised on term basis, he should be allowed to remain there because he was a chairman of a political party which was one of the pedigree he was asked to come and join us. He has joined us and you now see him as a conquered man and you are now giving him a term representation.
The appointment of Raymond Dokpesi is germane because he wanted to be chairman of the party. It was Tony Anenih and Dan Orbih that worked against it. Over and above that Dokpesi has made a lot of sacrifice for PDP.
” His business empire has been under investigations by EFCC, DSS to crumble it because of his affair and love for PDP. Do you know how many court cases that were brought before him to intimidate him to get him out of the system but he has never wavered. So, if they are giving the BOT to him, it is well-deserved honor which of course we all appreciate.
He said,. Mike Ogiadomhe has done his three years and this is a man who cannot win his local government. If Edo north is truly Edo north, why can’t they give it to someone like Colonel Akogu in Akoko Edo,
Why can’t they give it to Senator Yisa Braimah from Owan. What has Owan and Akoko-Edo people done? Deputy is from Etsako. Are the other three local government not part of Edo north.
Yisa Braimoh, in Owan who has always won Election for his party in his area, and use it to strengthen him for us to get votes from that area.
Today, the only local government we won is Owan west; so does that mean we don’t have somebody from Owan west to represent us.
Ogiadomhe is qualified to have it as the former chief of staff to the president. We should acknowledge other part of Edo north. So, when I keep saying it is not Edo north agenda but Etsako. When it comes to Esan, if we now say Ikimi cannot be there, the next qualified person should be Okonofua. She is a member of NEC, former woman leader, and should by now be a member of the BOT. We should do the right thing. I know that if Ikimi take up the position Okonofua will not mind because she respects IKimi. She sees IKimi as statesman and leader. But aside that, there is no other person that is qualified to take that position.
The appointment of Mike Ogiadomhe is not a wrong decision if the governor said the status quo should remain, we should equally look at balancing the leg of politics . Etsako has one by the gift of South South which was given to Dokpesi. Now, that of the state own should be given to the other part of Edo north.
Decentralization will always help the party. Concentrating them there will be a minus in other area. He concluded.
