Speaking during a town hall meeting with traditional rulers, opinion leaders and others, Oshiomhole said the spate of “politically-motivated violent activities” were orchestrated by leaders of the state chapter of the PDP and Federal Government to detract and frustrate the attention and mission of his government in order to seize power.
The governor criticised some chieftains of the PDP, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Frank Erewele, who recently alleged that attacks in their residences were masterminded by the governor.
He said: “Because we are the ones in government, we must bear the burden of peace. Today in Edo State, having chased PDP out of power not by force of arms but by the vote of our people who are unanimous that they will never allow the state to be governed by a bunch of people whose only purpose in government is to steal and privatise our collective patrimony, some desperate elements have chosen to resort to the use of fire-arms and to create maximum destruction hoping in the process that they will distract me from focusing on governance.
“The PDP had to find a way to divert attention and give the impression that there is a counter-attack.
I was in Abuja when someone told me that one Mr. Arewele was on television saying that I ordered thugs to vandalise his vehicles, and I asked who is Arewele? I didn’t even know that he has a car because he has always come cap in hand asking for stomach infrastructure and for God’s sake, you are all here, have I ever in any fora speak about Frank Arewele? I know he exists, what is the value of a man who cannot and who has never delivered his polling booth to ACN now APC? Everybody that wants to draw attention to himself will say Comrade say I should be attacked. I have records whether as a steward in NLC or since I resumed office as the governor of this state. I am sure you will all agree that the election that renewed my mandate, not one gun was fired anywhere so what are my stakes now, what am I looking for.”
Oshiomhole alleged that the attack on the legislative quarters few days ago was masterminded by the PDP and that they got intelligence report on the attack, which they gave to the police but the police did not act, adding that he has formally petitioned the Presidency and the Inspector-General of Police on the issues.
Speaking on the recent attack on the hospital of the wife of Ize-Iyamu, Oshiomhole said: “Pastor was quick to make very libelous statements that I was responsible for the attack and that we are after his life that is why we organised bomb attack. Simple questions, does it mean that we don’t know where Pastor lives, does he lives in his wife’s gate-house? If there are people who want to assassinate Ize-Iyamu, will they leave his house and go and attack his wife’s clinic’s gate-house that is located several kilometres away from his residence? However, if the idea was to destroy his property, Pastor has more than 15 houses in Benin City either in his name or by proxy, he should know I know. So, is destruction of a gate-house meant to inflict damage in property, what sense does it make? People carry bible in the afternoon and at night, they practise such evil.”
THE GUARDIAN
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