Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has said that fight against godfathers in the state was the path that his predecessor and current National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, taught his political protégés including him.
Speaking in Benin City when the House of Representatives ad hoc committee set up to look into the Edo Assembly crisis visited the state yesterday, the governor vowed that there would be no going back on the crusade against godfathers in the state.
He alleged that the crisis rocking the state House of Assembly was the handiwork of somebody who wanted to use the lawmakers to control him.
Obaseki, who spoke through his deputy, Philip Shaibu, said: “What we have here is somebody trying to use the House to control the executive. We feel that we have fought godfather. Oshiomhole led us to a strong fight to rescue the state from the hands of godfathers in 2006.
”We have joined the crusade Oshiomhole started in 2007. We will not go back on the crusade because it is helping Edo people. We can now galvanise the people because they can see roads, they can see schools and infrastructure. This is because the money that used to go the godfathers now go to the people.
”Oshiomhole has taught us to follow the path of the people. He told us to do the needful and make sure we fight the godfathers and take the money back to the people. That is what he taught us and we will not depart from it.
”Those ones have not been sworn in and they decided to abscond. I have contacted them and some of them told me certain things. I said we will deal with them. I said they must be members of the Assembly first before the discussion will take place.
”Somebody is interested in derailing them and the reality on ground. They are not elected to serve in Abuja. They should come to be sworn in first. I can assure you that I will bridge the gap between the governor and the legislature. We need peace because we want to turn Edo to investment hub.”
Chairman of the Committee, Abdulrazak Namdas (APC Adamawa) said there was hope that the issues would be resolved.
”We have spoken to relevant people involved in this crisis and all of them are willing and have given us their support. They are willing to sit down and say these things should come to an end.”
