Embattled Edo Deputy Speaker Return Vehicles, Begs Colleagues

After weeks of pressure and fear of likely prosecution, the
embattled former Deputy Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly,
Mrs Elizabeth Ativie yesterday returned three out of the four
official vehicles in her possession to the Speaker of the State
House of Assembly, Mr Kabiri Adjoto, assuring that the fourth car
will be made available soonest.

The Lawmaker had claimed that the official vehicles were given
to her by former Governor Adams Oshiomhole, an allegation the
governor denied and urged her to return the vehicles to the
assembly.

Ativie in her letter to the House said she is taking steps to
recover the fourth vehicle from the buyer and apologized to the
House for any inconveniencies the delay may have caused them.

Replying her letter, the Clerk of the House, Mr James
Omoatanman, who acknowledged the receipt of the cars noted however
that the leadership of the House is still expecting the fourth
vehicle, a Lexus jeep 2016 model which according to the letter was
the official vehicle of the Speaker and further advised the former
Deputy Speaker to make available the spare keys of the returned
vehicles.

In another development, the House yesterday raised alarm over
what it described as the rising state of killings, armed robbery
and abduction in the state particularly in Esan South East Local
Government Area of the state and passed a resolution calling on
security agents and the state government to check the situation
which has led to the death of a Police Inspector in Ubiaja.

The resolution followed a motion sponsored by the member
representing Esan South East constituency, Festus Edughele
Igbelekotor, who cried that members of his constituency have been
under siege, “they can no longer go their farms, a police officer
who went to help was killed in the process and the burial is
tomorrow (Wednesday).

“After he was killed, the next day a man went to his farm with
his bike and was never found. As we speak, his body has not been
found and even his bike. As if that was not enough, the following
day, a young man who is an Okada rider was celebrating the new bike
that he bought, only on his way home, he was attacked by armed
robbers, he was killed and his body was found covered with
leaves.

“As we speak Mr Speaker, the report by the police was that all
through the night they were inside the bush searching for
kidnappers who have taken over my community. It means that apart
from the flood disasters we are experiencing my people can no
longer go their normal businesses, it is really scaring.”

While reacting also, the Majority Leader of the House, Mr Asoro
Rolland, lamented the killing of “my brother Mr Efosa Omorogie in
Oben by unknown gunmen. Mr Speaker I want to appeal that both the
DSS, Police and the army should help and beef up security in the
entire state not only in Esan South East because the killing is
going on everywhere.”

After weeks of pressure and fear of likely prosecution, the
embattled former Deputy Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly,
Mrs Elizabeth Ativie yesterday returned three out of the four
official vehicles in her possession to the Speaker of the State
House of Assembly, Mr Kabiri Adjoto, assuring that the fourth car
will be made available soonest.

The Lawmaker had claimed that the official vehicles were given
to her by former Governor Adams Oshiomhole, an allegation the
governor denied and urged her to return the vehicles to the
assembly.

Ativie in her letter to the House said she is taking steps to
recover the fourth vehicle from the buyer and apologized to the
House for any inconveniencies the delay may have caused them.

Replying her letter, the Clerk of the House, Mr James
Omoatanman, who acknowledged the receipt of the cars noted however
that the leadership of the House is still expecting the fourth
vehicle, a Lexus jeep 2016 model which according to the letter was
the official vehicle of the Speaker and further advised the former
Deputy Speaker to make available the spare keys of the returned
vehicles.

In another development, the House yesterday raised alarm over
what it described as the rising state of killings, armed robbery
and abduction in the state particularly in Esan South East Local
Government Area of the state and passed a resolution calling on
security agents and the state government to check the situation
which has led to the death of a Police Inspector in Ubiaja.

The resolution followed a motion sponsored by the member
representing Esan South East constituency, Festus Edughele
Igbelekotor, who cried that members of his constituency have been
under siege, “they can no longer go their farms, a police officer
who went to help was killed in the process and the burial is
tomorrow (Wednesday).

“After he was killed, the next day a man went to his farm with
his bike and was never found. As we speak, his body has not been
found and even his bike. As if that was not enough, the following
day, a young man who is an Okada rider was celebrating the new bike
that he bought, only on his way home, he was attacked by armed
robbers, he was killed and his body was found covered with
leaves.

“As we speak Mr Speaker, the report by the police was that all
through the night they were inside the bush searching for
kidnappers who have taken over my community. It means that apart
from the flood disasters we are experiencing my people can no
longer go their normal businesses, it is really scaring.”

While reacting also, the Majority Leader of the House, Mr Asoro
Rolland, lamented the killing of “my brother Mr Efosa Omorogie in
Oben by unknown gunmen. Mr Speaker I want to appeal that both the
DSS, Police and the army should help and beef up security in the
entire state not only in Esan South East because the killing is
going on everywhere.”