Mr. Foly Ogedengbe Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie
The two principal officers of the House who sponsored the outrageous bill to build 200 million naira home for Oshiomhole and selected other former governors are Mr Folly Ogedengbe representing Owan East constituency and Mrs Elizabeth Ativie representing Uhunmwode constituency.
These two persons have been lobbying to replace Dr Justin Okounobo as Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly to complete the vanquishing of the Edo Central from the political equation in Edo state.
The Edo House of Assembly on Wednesday approved the construction of houses for former governors and their deputies to the tune of N200m and N100m, respectively, in any location of their choice in Nigeria.
The standard rate of constructing a house in Edo state is not up to 20 million naira, considering also the fact that the lands belong to the government. But Oshiomhole lobbied the insensitive legislators to approve 200 million to build house for them when the level of poverty has reached all time worse, there is recession and famine and civil servants who spend 30 years of their lives serving Edo state don’t get even a car loan.
The bonanza approval was sequel to the consideration of a bill for a law to amend the existing legislation on the Pension Rights of Governors and their Deputies in the state.
Moving the motion for the consideration of the bill, the Majority Leader, Mr Foly Ogedengbe (APC, Owan East), who wants to replace Dr Justin Okounobo as Speaker, moved that House rules 20, 27, 42, 43, 44 and 45 be suspended, to enable the assembly to consider the bill.
hon-barr-foly-joseph-ogedemgbe
Mr Foly Joseph Ogedengbe, House Leader, moved the motion to award 200 million naira house to Oshiomhole
The motion was seconded by the Deputy Speaker, Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie (APC -Uhunwode), another contender for the position.
The former governor and defacto leader of the APC in Edo state, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, has settled for Mr Foly Ogedengbe representing Owan East constituency in the House to replace Dr Justin Okounobo as Speaker while Mrs Elizabeth Ativie will retain her position as Deputy Speaker. This will be announced later, within 60 days. This is the reason that both principal officers had to suspend the House rules to approve such ridiculous, provocative and outrageous bonanza for Oshiomhole and other leaders in the name of pension.
Mrs Elizabeth Ativie, Deputy Speaker, seconded the Motion to give Oshiomhole 200 million naira house
Mrs Elizabeth Ativie, Deputy Speaker, seconded the Motion to give Oshiomhole 200 million naira house
Considering the bill as a committee of the whole, the lawmakers amended the law to read that a governor and his deputy shall be entitled to a house each, at any location of their choice.
The new law, however, provides that the houses shall not be more than N200m and N100m, respectively. The law did not say when the house would be provided.
Watchers suspect that once this law is passed, the governor will exercise discretion over who among the former leaders deserve to get his house ready. The others may have to wait forever or get their approvals after exploring long and torturous litigation.
Civil society groups in Edo state have started to meet and strategize on ways to collectively resist this development especially now that the nation is officially in recession and the government has announced the presence of famine.
