‘Oshiomhole should apologise to Igbinedion’ - Victor Enoghama

Hon. Victor Enoghama, an associate of former Governor Lucky Igbinedion, is a former commissioner in Edo State. In this interview with Correspondent OSAGIE OTABOR, he says Governor Adams Oshiomhole should apologise to Igbinedion for making unfounded allegations. 

How would you react to the invective on former Governor Lucky Igbinedion by Governor Adams Oshiomhole ?

Lucky Igbinedion

I am an in-law to the former governor. The event that took place before the anniversary when we heard the Comrade Governor insulting the Esama of Benin Kingdom and also insulting the former governor was not pleasant to me. I was disturbed that it was coming from a governor that I have worked with for four years. The moral value we had has been lost. If there are political issues that have to be discussed, there are ways to discuss them after all, the people we borrow this democracy from, they have their own political disagreement, but they don’t resort it to a personal attack. From what I saw when the governor used over an hour to lambast the Igbinedions, both father and son, is not a welcome development. If I were with the governor, I probably would have told him that is not the way a governor should behave. If you have any political difference with anybody, you first have a close door meeting. Things you discuss at a close door meeting are personal issues. For him to come out and start insulting someone like Chief Igbinedion, it is not really about my relationship with the Igbinedions or my relationship with the governor. As far as I am concern, it is politically incorrect and morally wrong.

What should the governor do next?

Lucky did not hand over to Oshiomhole, he actually handed over to Oserheimen Osunbor. For 18 months, Osunbor was governor in this state. His did not say he wanted to investigate Lucky who was his predecessor. For Oshiomhole to say after seven years that he wants to investigate Lucky, you will know that there is something fishy and all those things dovetail into the seven years anniversary. It was a build up. For me as someone who has worked in public office, I will say the governor has erred in this regard. If I were to be with the governor in his administration, I would have told him that he erred in telling the Igbinedions that he has stolen money from the state government which is unfounded. He has erred and if he wants peace in the state because as a government his primary purpose is the welfare of the citizens of the state and peace which is more paramount. He can retrace his steps when he as a governor apologies. There is nothing wrong if the governor admits his mistake. As a governor, there are certain people he must manage, regardless of political affiliation. Those people who have attained, in terms of business, those people the Federal Government has recognised. Do you know what it is for somebody to be awarded with a CFR. The Federal Governmenr has found that person worthy of that position. A person who has that kind of title, you don’t just demean that person in the public.

What do you say about comments that Esama enriched himself during the administration of his son?

For Oshiomhole to say that Chief Igbinedion enriched himself during Lucky’s government is laughable. I grew up as a small boy when we hear of the word Exemption. I remember those days when we used to pass artillery on our way to the stadium. We see high rising buildings and they said they belonged to Igbinedion. I used to see him on a white horse. The title Esama means one of the richest man in Benin Kingdom. Singlehandedly, Igbinedion has sponsored his son back in 1991 when he lost  during the NRC and SDP. Lucky coming into power in 1999 was funded by his father. He was the first black man to own 747 jet. Having participated in Lucky’s government in 2007, I can say that Lucky has done his best. He created the foundation for Oshiomhole. In 1999, the day Lucky came to power was the day civil servants called off their strike. Lucky did not lament what he met on ground but he put his effort together and see how he could create a government. Lucky restructure our health system and the educational system. In the civil service, Lucky employed people and get water from Ikpoba Dam. With the little money, Lucky had, he was able to put structures in place. An incoming government was supposed to build on it. If Lucky wanted to eradicate the legacy of Dr. Ogbemudia, he would not have renovated the stadium. He put seats on the stadium. He made the swimming pool to an international standard. He built infrastructure in AAU. Government is continuity. If Edo State want to move forward, we must avoid the idea of killing legacies of predecessors. The legacy I left at the Ministry of Transport was destroyed.

Is it true that Chief Igbinedion solely collected the monthly IGR of N280m for personal use?

That is completely false. Lucky formed the Board of Internal Revenue. Go and ask those who were members of the board how they were collecting the revenue. When Lucky came in, the IGR was about N20m. Lucky built it to about N280m. Does it mean his father was collecting N200m? As we speak, Oshiomhole has paid four percent to Oseni Elamah. If Igbinedion by proxy or influence was a consultant to the Board of Internal Revenue of which he was not, there was no way government would have paid N200m. What are they doing with the 4% they are paying the consultants? These are political gimmicks.

A former Commissioner once said Lucky had passion for work, but was bogged down by his father and Chief Anenih.

That is not true. If Charles Idahosa is saying that, I believe that is a misplace information. When you talk about performances, there is a limit you can perform as a government and that depends on the revenue that accrue to you. There is no father that will not wish his son well. There was no way the father, Esama could distract his son. Those of us close to Chief, we know that Chief met well for this state and this country. He has contributed his own to the development of this country. There was no way he could have distract his son. Lucky was never distracted. He gave his best to the development of this state. He is a quiet man and has never want to join issue with anybody. Idahosa is one of the beneficiary of Lucky. Was he not a Commissioner in his government. When he is now saying the government he was part of and he didn’t resign when things were going wrong and go on to say that somebody was responsible for the failure. Wherever we are now was made possible by Lucky. I have said it in a State Council meeting. The cry of the people during Igbinedion era was not road. How many people have cars then. Because their human development has been attain, that is when you start talking about cars.  The man was building government. He meant well for the state which was why he set up those industries to enable the youths get employed. The fruit factory at Ehor was never sold. It was only Ikpeshi Chemical plant that was sold. Cassavita was working and Fertilizer plant was there. Oshiomhole should have seen that the companies were working and build on it. People would have been working in the factory. No investor want to come to Edo during Lucky because investors were not sure about our democracy. The government took the initiative and after privatize. I am saying these things because of my participation in three administrations.

You were in government when the Land Use Charge was passed into law..

The Land Use Charge first came in 2012 when I was the Commissioner for Transoort. We discussed it at the Council meeting,  I told the Governor that the state was not ripe enough for the Land Use Charge. Then it was called Property Tax. I said we should get the government infrastructure to a level before throwing out the option. For him to say we can get N18bn a month means anti-people. We know in abroad, property tax are paid through mortgage system. As a citizen, you don’t need to have the full amount before building a house. Before talking about Land Use Charge, the infrastructure, water supply, electricity, good roads, good public schools, welfare are they available? The timing was wrong when they brought it on board and I said we must take development  to a certain level before introducing the law. We can’t see that

Lagos State is doing something and we set out to do it. Property Tax is not politically correct as of this moment. Majority of Edo people are against this. You can shove it. You don’t make a law for certain people in the society. You make a law that encompassed the entire society. When they start saying it is met for those in the GRA. Where is the GRA? The GRA ends in Boundary road. I don’t live in GRA, I live in Ugbor village. Are you saying, I will pay when you have already defined GRA. Are you saying GRA at Auchi is included? If you want to take the map of old GRA, it ends in Boundary road. We should have public debate and do marketing before it is launched. The way the law was past showed there was something under it.

But, the government said it was meant to tax the rich and provide facilities for the poor.

How many rich men are in the GRA? Whenever they talk about the rich, they talk about Igbinedion. Some of the houses in the GRA are inheritance. There are so many government properties there. It is the rich men that established the businesses where people work in the state. Look at Igbinedion payroll, he pays over a N100m for salary staff. There is the C of O payment. Igbinedion is up to date on that. Are we going to tax them and give the money to the poor. How will the poor benefit from some of the programmes the government has outlined. That should be the questions to ask. There are various ways the rich can compensate and work for the poor. One way is bringing investment. Chief Igbinedion has brought a lot of investments where people work. The government should encourage the rich to invest. The rich are encouraged by the government to invest.

What about the alleged land grabbing by Chief Igbinedion under his son’s administration?

Without Igbinedion, most people would not have known Okada community. Igbinedion hails from Okada village. A part of those land the governor is referring to is his own inheritance. If you look at the date when some of the land were given to him, you can tell that military governors gave him part. If they say his son gave him the entire land which this government want people to believe is not true. The son didn’t gave his father those lands. Even if the son decide to give land to his father, is it because the son is a governor, the father should be denied something. If the father applied, the issue should be whether it passed through the normal process. I can do what I want to do on any land given to me by the government provided it is farming. If they say Chief Igbinedion has those land and he is letting them to cocoa farmers, how do we justify if Chief Igbinedion said he owns the cocoa farm. Have you seen any protest from Okada people that their land has been collected? Let them show us documents. Chief Igbinedion has documents with which the land was acquired. Some of those properties in the GRA were given to him by government before the son came to power. Igbinedion bought that number one Guest House from a former governor. They are playing politics with everything.

Do you attribute what is happening to next year’s election?

It is 2016 that is playing out now. They came out too early. The Oshiomhole government we started in 2008 was focus. We were focus and playing less politics. That is the reasons we were able to achieve some of the infrastructure we had. Today those infrastructures have collapsed because politics is now the order of the day. This last year is going to be for politics and as a result the people will not enjoy dividends of democracy. There are a lot of issues to compare previous government with this government unlike before when they will say this government didn’t do anything. The cost of doing the bye-pass from Oluku to Sapele road is N10bn. How much does this government spent on five kilometer of roads? When we want to talk about corruption, we have to look into his activities. I am not happy with the language of Oshiomhole calling Jonathan an armed robber. People like to talk about Martin Luther King. I will not want my children to talk like Oshiomhole. There are people to be managed in the society. If you successfully manage those people, it will be well with you. Some people were laughing when insults were poured on a man who for over 60 years has been on top of his game. The governor has right to challenge anybody to a debate but not to cast aspersion on those who said I don’t trust your policy. Some of us were labeled as rebel commissioners because we spoke our mind.

Are you worried about the planned probe of Lucky Igbinedion?

I am not worried about the planned probe. Those who have not sinned should cast the first stone. I just told you it takes N15bn to do a four kilometer road in this state. This issue of going to Abuja to forward files to the Federal Govenment. If there are issues, the man has a right to explain.

Your party has accused Oshiomhole of being corrupt and you have worked closely with Oshiomhole. Can you say the allegation by your party is true?

Corruption is of different forms. When you over blown project cost, that is corruption. When you get kickback on projects awarded, that is corruption. When you deny certain people of their rights, that is corruption. When I was there as a commissioner, there were certain things that happened that didn’t make me happy. That is the truth. It was clear to me that this idea of the messiah was not there. For you to say your predecessor was corrupt and you are not corrupt, that is for Edo people to decide. From the little we can see, we can tell the government is not free of corruption. When there is nepotism, tribalism playing in government, you know that is is not free of corruption. Some of us were moved from certain offices, because he wanted to put his tribesman there. Some people have been sacked from office because of one issue or the other while others are still in office for the same offenses. Is that not corruption. Oshiomhole’s government has lost focus. Politics now take 70 per cent and the real governance take 30 per cent and there is no control. Three years of this second tenure have destroyed the infrastructures we built in four years. Tell me any street light working today. When some of us challenged the traffic light, we were told this is the best. What about the school furniture that were supplied. People did not know what happened why there are no furniture in some schools where we invested N3bn. Compare the way Edo supplied furniture to schools to the way Fayose supplied furniture to schools. Our furniture makers in the state are not benefitting. Somebody did the furniture in Abuja and 50 per cent of the furniture were missing.

You are close to the former Governor. Has he in anyway regretted actions of Charles Idahosa?

Lucky Igbinedion talk less even when you sit with him for hours. He listen a lot. He has said he will not interfere with Oshiomhole government and he will allow him concentrate on governance. Who made Charles Idahosa chairman during military era, it was Lucky. Lucky also made him a commissioner. People believe they can pass any aspersion on him and it will stick because he does not say anything. This time, the man has said enough is enough. It is unfair for Charles, a childhood friend of Lucky to start castigating him from behind. Lucky has contributed to the likes of Charles. You cannot play politics with your friend who has contributed in terms of human capital development to your life.

‘Oshiomhole should apologise to Igbinedion’ - Victor Enoghama