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Edo Govt, APC, Trade Words Over Alleged Land-grabbing, Demolition Of Houses

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By Joseph Kanjo

The Edo State Government and the main opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state have continued to trade words over the manner at which the state government demolished several buildings along Irhirihi-Arougba-Obazagbon-Ogheghe axis of the state capital.

Recall that the Godwin Obaseki-led government had September 29,2022, rolled out Caterpillars to take over a portion of land measuring1229 hectares along the Irhirhi-Obazagbon-Ogheghe Road in Oredo Local Government Area of the  state for the development of a new town.

The government claimed that the land was acquired in 2017 for a new town project but had been encroached upon by land speculators, adding that the area repossessed used to be a forest reserve at the time of the acquisition.

Reacting to the action by the state government, state Chairman of the APC, Col. David Imuse (Rtd), critised the state government, just as he further accused Obaseki of hiding under the guise of building a new town to take over the area.

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READ ALSO: Edo APC Knocks Obaseki Over Demolition Of Houses

The APC Chairman faulted the state government’s claim that the area had over the years been acquired by the government and known as Ogba Forest Reserve but still went ahead to issue Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) to genuine buyers.

According to him, the demolition was a resumption of Obaseki’s policy “of demolishing public and private properties of innocent citizens, his perceived enemies and members of the opposition party in the State.”

Imuse continued: “As a party, we condemn in strong terms these illegal demolitions by the jittery and rudderless PDP-led administration in the state; we see this policy of regularly demolishing public and private properties by the Obaseki-led Edo state government as irrational, evil and undemocratic.

“Yet before this land was forcefully acquired by the same government in 2017, it was the world renowned Ogba River Forest Reserve, which successive governments before Obaseki used for reforestation purposes.

“It was also a natural park, one with a lot of tourism prospects, which a responsible government would have considered developing.

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“It is very ironic that the same government which destroyed the private estates within the Ogba River Forest Reserve by removing the buildings even when many of them were occupied by families with children and the elderly, is the same that gave Certificates of Occupancy to many of the developers in the communities. The worst of all is that the government chose to carry out this very anti-people action while many cases on the matter were pending in the law courts.”

But in an apparent response to the APC’s stance on the demolition by the state government, Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, lambasted the state’s chapter of the APC for faulting the government’s action.

Crusoe, in a statement issued on Monday and titled ‘Edo APC leaders are the land-grabbers in Edo’, a copy of which was made available to newsmen, noted that the party and its leaders are afraid because they are the main culprits in the illegal enterprise and are scared that they will be caught in the web as the exercise progresses.

Osagie, in the statement said the party has no moral authority to speak on the matter as they are the land-grabbers.

He said, “The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State are jittery over the determination of Governor Godwin Obaseki to end land-grabbing in Edo State because they are the land-grabbers.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Edo Govt Imposes 24-hour Curfew In Obazagbon, Ogheghe Communities

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“The party and its leaders are throwing tantrums today over the repossession exercise in Irhirhi-Obazagbon-Ogheghe Road because while they held office, the APC and its chieftains promoted the appropriation of community land with the use of non-state actors and overlords, who in the run-up to the 2020 Edo State Governorship election were popularly known as lions and tigers.

“This was one of the major reasons why Governor Obaseki parted ways with the APC, chiefly due to such ideological differences.

“These non-state actors, under the APC, superintended over the reign of terror in Edo State, deploying violence to dispossess people of their landed properties and hard-earned money.

“The overlords, mostly leaders of youth groups and members of the disbanded Community Development Associations (CDAs) in the state, reigned supreme and unleashed terror in communities with the active support of the APC.”

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Easter: FG Declares Friday, Monday Public Holidays

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The Federal Government has declared Friday, 29th March and Monday, 1st April 2024 as public holidays to mark the 2024 Good Friday and Easter Monday respectively.

Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government urged Christians and all Nigerians in general to emulate the sacrifice and love displayed by Jesus Christ in dying for the redemption of man.

In a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Aishetu Gogo Ndayako said the Minister noted that Easter, beyond religious significance, promotes values of love, forgiveness and compassion which are essential for social cohesion and harmony.

READ ALSO: NAF Destroys Several Illegal Refining Sites, Berges In Rivers

“He calls on Christians to imbibe these virtues as they are capable of impacting positively on the socio-economic development in Nigeria by fostering unity, reducing conflicts and encouraging cooperation among Nigerians.

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“He further urged Nigerians to show acts of charity and generosity to help alleviate the material conditions of the less privileged amongst them.

“This, he said, is in tandem with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President.”

While wishing Christians at home and abroad a happy and blissful Easter celebration, the Minister also called on Nigerians to join hands with President Tinubu led Administration in its determination to bring sustainable development and usher in prosperity to all”, the statement added.

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PHOTOS: Tinubu, Governors Pay Last Respects At burial Of 17 Slain Soldiers

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The remains of 17 military personnel, comprising four officers, 13 soldiers, slain by some irate youths in Okuama community in Delta State during a peace mission on March 14, have arrived at the National Military Cemetery, Abuja, for burial.

The bodies, which arrived at about 2:30 p.m., were conveyed by the FCT Ambulance Emergency Services and other vehicles.

In attendance are the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.

The Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau; and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, are also present.

READ ALSO: Labour Party Reserves 2027 Presidential Ticket For Peter Obi

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Governors Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Duoye Diri (Bayelsa), Usman Ododo (Kogi), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), and Abba Yusuf (Kano) also attended the ceremony.

President Bola Tinubu joined the solemn assembly at exactly 04:10p.m.

Family members and relatives of the deceased personnel, as well as those of other military officers, are also on ground to honour the fallen heroes.

Meanwhile, at the time of this report, the burial ceremony for the 17 military personnel was already underway.

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Abure Re-elected Labour Party National Chairman; NLC Kicks

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The embattled national chairman of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Julius Abure has been re-elected for a second term by a unanimous affirmation of delegates despite the protests by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Mr. Ikechukwu Emetu declared him the winner during the party’s national convention that held in Nnewi, Anambra State.

Other serving officers of the party were also returned.

READ ALSO: Why Bobrisky Was Awarded Best Dressed Female – Nigerian Actress

Recall that the NLC had called for Abure’s resignation as party chairman and the immediate constitution of a caretaker transition committee to organize a legitimate and all-inclusive national convention for the party.

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Meanwhile, a factional chairman of the Labour Party in Anambra State, Mr Peter Okoye has boasted that the Nnewi national convention will not stand.

Describing the convention as a sham, Okoye said: “This is not a convention. We are on top of the matter. It’s purely illegal.

“There was no ward congress, no local government congress, no state congress, and now who and who are the elected the delegates that are electing the National Working Committee, NWC, members?

“The NLC was not there, TUC was not there, the owners of the party and members of the NEC and BOT members were not there too. So, who is holding the convention?”

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