Royal Fathers Support Governor Oshiomhole's Edo House Sale
Governor Oshiomhole with the Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom
The Oba of Benin, Omo n’Oba Erediauwa, the Crown Prince, the Royal fathers of Opoji and Okpella and many others stakeholders have thrown their weight behind the plan by the Government of Edo State to sell the Edo House in Lagos.
Speaking at a Town Hall meeting to address the twin issues of security and the proposed sale of the State’s Liaison office in Lagos, called Edo House, the Oba of Benin said the Edo House had become a liability and had lost its appeal.
Speaking through Chief Stanley Obamwonyi, the Esere of Benin Kingdom, the Oba frowned at the hullabaloo generated by the planned the sale and he told the Governor “go ahead and sell it”.
Also the Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom, HRH Ehenede Erediauwa said he fully supported the sale of the Edo House.
He said, “my presence is to support the position of the palace, the position of the traditional rulers that the
Comrade Governor who has taken the pains which he did not have to do.
There have been governors who will not even talk to anyone but will do what they have to do.
Here is a man of integrity and principle and he has the time to call this kind of meeting.
I have been to Edo House in Lagos and it is nothing to write home about.
It is just that we have a kind man who has the interest of the people at heart giving out all these facts which could easily have been given out by his officials.
I am personally here to say sell it and invest the revenue in Edo State. Invest it in a five star hotel and Convention Centre which is very important because many big conferences are going elsewhere.
When conference are being held Edo State is screened off. How many retreats have we witnessed in Edo State?”, he asked.
On his part the Onojie of Opoji, HRH Zaiki Ehidiamen 1 commended the governor for tabling the Edo House issue for discussion.
“In the past, once the governor says the Government has sold this building that is the end of the matter, heaven will not fall.
The House is no longer viable which means it must go. The Government should go ahead and sell it”, he said.
The Okwokpellagbe of Okpella, Alhaji AYE Dirisu who lamented the serious security situation in the state commended the governor for the initiative to reintroduce check points in the state.
“He said past government have sold government properties in the past and nothing was heard about it and wondered why this one is attracting so much attention.
Let the government go ahead and sell the property and invest the proceeds in the state.”
Earlier the Governor explained that the Edo House had become unviable and no longer serves the purpose to which it was meant.
“Government has not sold the Edo House and will not be sold secretly. We decided at the level of the state government to look at the matter of Edo House and all the issues surrounding it and came to the conclusion that the Edo House be sold in a very transparent manner.
Government properties including landed properties have been sold by previous governments without the benefit of advertising it.
If we want to carry out self help we would not need to advertise it. It is consistent with our commitment to transparency and accountability”, he noted.
The Governor disclosed that government holding discussions with the appropriate authority on the issue of re introducing check points to check insecurity in the state.
