Tony Osauzo, Benin
Edo State former deputy governor, Pius Odubu, yesterday said the recent spate of bomb attacks and other forms of violence against All Progressives Congress (APC) members, represents a brutal affront on the security of lives and property.
“Whereas the primary purpose of government is the security and welfare of the citizens, it would appear in Edo State that this basic constitutional responsibility of government has been totally abandoned with the blatant acquiescence of the authorities over the reckless and incessant attacks on officials and APC members in Edo State,” he said in a statement in Benin.
Odudu, one of the APC governorship aspirants in the forthcoming September 19 governorship election in the state, said: “Under normal circumstances no responsible government will tolerate in the least without the slightest concern the spate of attacks on political opponents within the ruling party in a state that has hitherto enjoyed some modicum of peace.
“The situation in Edo State, therefore behoves on the security agencies to rise to the challenge of securing the lives and property of helpless citizens from the hands of criminal elements who have taken their insidious enterprise to an intolerable level.
“Bearing in mind that no meaningful development can occur in an atmosphere of chaos, it is therefore incumbent on government to reassess the security situation in Edo State with a view to ensuring lives and property are protected,” he said.
In its response, the state government yesterday, took on Edo Peoples Movement (EPM) members over allegation that Governor Godwin Obaseki was behind bombing incidents targeted at some personalities in the state.
Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Paul Ohonbamu, who spoke for the government, said the bombings were designed by those opposed to the governor and his administration towards creating an impression of state of insecurity to President Muhammadu Bihari so he can declare a state of emergency in Edo State.
“In the past two weeks, we have these incidents of bombings, explosions orchestrated by EPM even though they point fingers at us,” the commissioner said.
He traced origin of the crisis rocking the state chapter of the APC to the inauguration of the House of Assembly, stressing that Governor Obaseki did his constitutional duty by issuing a proclamation letter for the inauguration but that he was not the one to perform the actual exercise.
He explained that the dissent against the Obaseki’s administration increased when it became obvious that the opposing groups lost grip with vision and mission of the administration and therefore plotted failed bid to enter the state legislature through the backdoor to impeach the governor.
“The bombings is a smear campaign to say that Governor Obaseki is not doing well,” Ohonbamu said but noted that the situation is becoming severe even though it is not yet critical, hence government’s intervention.
He described Obaseki as a non-violent man of integrity who believes in the rule of law.