Austine Okolbhole is the executive chairman Esan North East Local Government, Edo State. In this exclusive interview, he spoke with our correspondent ONAZENA ABBEY on the current political crisis rocking the State Chapter, All Progressives Party, Governor Obaseki second term ambition tussle and other sundry issues. Excerpts
What is the secret of your continue stay in office despite the uproar, petitions calling for your probe and removal?
Well, I think the governor received the petition and I believed he did a private investigation and I also had the opportunity of responding to any issue that was raised in the petition before the government. And responses were investigated and discovered the allegations was not correct. So, it is not about where I belong. I don’t think the case of others is about where they belong because investigations was also done and government took a decision that they had to go
Today, there is problem in the party over the Governor second term . Why do you think Obaseki deserve to return as governor of Edo state?
Well, for me I think he has done enough and deserve to return because the only way to appreciate the performance is to give him the opportunity to come again. If people are not performing are given the opportunity to return, then it will be unfair and posterity will judge us when you see a performing person and you refuse his or her return. And it is going to set a bad precedence because what that tells us especially those of us that are upcoming is that you do not have to perform to return.
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What you will need to do is to be loyal to some set of persons and your return will be guaranteed. Whereas in this case, the man is working and concern about the masses and wellbeing of the people, and if we do not allow him to come back, what is the incentives for those of us that are upcoming to perform. So, the only thing we can do to encourage performance guarantee your return is to make sure that he returns so that those of us who are upcoming will make sure will perform to ensure we return in whatever position we find ourselves. For me, it will be a very bad precedence for us to slaughter performance in the alter of loyalty.
Currently in Edo is either you are OSM or EPM and in the last few months there have been crashes between the two groups.How have you been able to manage the issue in Uromi?
There is no EPM in Uromi; in Uromi we have APC and there is nothing like EPM. You are either a member of APC or not. EPM is something I only hear of and I have not seen them. Obaseki has done enough in Esan north east. The water project is ongoing, water is about to flow in taps and homes of Uromi people. The college of agriculture that was commissioned in Iguorhiakhi, part of it is in Uromi. There are roads up to about nine roads have been done. Uromi are not ungrateful people and we appreciate.
To what extent have you been able to impart on the lives of the people in thr local governemt?
My administration inherited N650 million debt but today we have been able to offset payment fifteen out of eighteen months salary arrears of workers. We were confronted with cases of litigation from contractors, association and group of persons the council was indebted to. I had to settle out of court and get started paying in installment so much that we were at a point of being publish and our properties confiscated. We were left with the option of profiling and segmentation to boost the internally generated revenue . We concentrated on our pillar of strength and it is yielding result especially when we are able to develop the special commodity market, spare parts market, mechanic village, livestock market
We have equally constructed and rehabilitated roads damaged by flood , two blocks of class rooms, establishment of community security outfit (vigilante) and procurement of tractors for the clearing of grasses in schools. We made it a policy that no child should clear grass in school and as a result stay back home when the schools resume
Do you see the coming of Pastor Ize-Iyamu as a threat to Governor Obaseki second term ambition?
Like I said Governor Obaseki has done well and I think it is only fair and just to give him a second chance haven done excellently well. Pastor Ize- Iyamu is somebody I have great respect for but in the present circumstances he is no match for Governor Godwin Obaseki, So, he is never a threat
