Editorial

It’s not in the gift of the state governor Godwin Obaseki to “forgive”. These are statutory matters and the matter according to GOO is in court for determination so how can he be “begged” to forgive that for which he has no celestial powers. These are are legal and political decisions. GOO is not of their political party and they win their case, no power can stop them returning to the House. Conversely, if they lose their court case, for all the goodwill, Godwin can allow them to seat in Assembly.

The other point is that GOO allegedly wishes to pursue sedition charges against the runaway law makers. On what grounds would GOO thought process allow for this. What is the crime against the state have they committed. There is no criminal liability for not taking up an elected position in Nigeria.

This is how we turn public servants into self identifying or imposed godlike complex. If this set of circumstances happens at the federal level, we will scream bloodily murder and yet governors behave like Caesar in their domain and the people acquiesce such nonsense.

This is how we create the political culture of impunity and gangsterism and then complain about our politics works. Iyamu and Oshiomole must continue to oppose GOO for the development of our politics and it is for GOO to govern within the law and implement his promises. God is not dead yet and no replacement has been elected yet. Both parties should and ought to get on with their constitutional roles of government and opposition.

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, Wednesday vowed to press sedition and treason charges against the 14 run-away Edo Assembly members-elect.

He made the vow during an interactive session with labour leaders in the state.

The seats of the 14 members-elect were in December 2019 declared vacant by the House led by former speaker, Rt. Hon. Francis Okiye, for being absent from the House proceedings for the mandatory 181 days.

The governor, reacting to calls to pardon the erring Assembly members-elect during an interactive session with stakeholders from Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other civil society groups, called for the support of all stakeholders towards achieving lasting peace and development in Edo.

According to him, “Some characters said they sent congratulatory letters to me and put it in all kinds of conditions.

“How can you tell me to forgive those 14 lawmakers-elect who are responsible for sedition and treason in Nigeria? Of course, we are going to start charges.”

Obaseki continued: “You see, what is bad is bad. Let’s stop covering up things so that people can learn and not do it again. We have gotten support from all of you and are very glad and happy; your support gives us the confidence to continue to fight.

“For us as a government, we are open. There is nothing that we are hiding and this is why we have to kill anything that links us to godfatherism. We have killed it at the national level and need to kill it locally as it is everywhere. I urge you to please be activists for good, peace and development.”

“This engagement is to see how we can collaborate and make things work differently; this is a time that we need leadership more than ever before,” he noted.

On his part, the Chairman of NLC in Edo State, Mr. Sunday Osanyande, urged the government to digitize revenue collection by migrating to e-revenue collection systems, which will check leakages.

Osanyande said that the e-revenue collection system would further increase the state government Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).