Oshiomhole must get my permission to visit Edo – Obaseki insists

Irked by the weekend visit of the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki has insisted that his immediate predecessor must seek his permission to visit the state.

Governor Obaseki who spoke on Sunday when he played host to former President Goodluck Jonathan in Benin accused his predecessor of behaving with impunity just as concerns about the safety of Oshiomhole forced the police to beef up security around his Okorotun Benin City residence on Saturday night.

He said that the ruling party national chairman must inform the state government of any of his visit as courtesy demands.
The former Edo State governor who was in Benin, the state capital to attend the funeral ceremony of Madam Cecilia Agbonyinma, mother of Mr Ehiozuwa Agbonyinma, a former member of the House of Representatives, was confronted by some thugs at the Bénin Airport.
After the ugly incident at the airport, the APC national chairman found it difficult to access his house as Okorotun street where his house is located as it was barricaded on both ends with two Edo State Waste Management trucks.

It was gathered that the barricade was to prevent any political meetings from holding at Oshiomhole’s residence.
Security was later beefed up around the house to forestall any attacks at night.

A visibly angry Governor Obaseki said Oshiomhole should have informed the state government about his visit to the state.

He said: “The former president is just extending the courtesy. Someone who has served the country at the highest level and you heard what he said. There is a courtesy when you are going to visit a state, you want to inform the person in charge of the state that you are coming and when you have time during a visit, you can now pay him a courtesy call.

“Unlike the unfortunate incident, we have been having in Edo State. It is really sad where somebody who had been the governor of a state visiting the state and does not realise that courtesy demands that he should inform the governor or the government apparatus of his visit.

“It is really sad and unfortunate that people who have served, who should know better decided to behave the way they do or behave with impunity and other sense of lawlessness.”

Jonathan who was in Benin for a private visit, in a brief chat with journalists said Edo people were pleased with Obaseki.
However, it was gathered that there was a threat to haul explosive devices at the APC national chairman’s premises on Saturday night, even as credible sources disclosed that there was another plot to burn one of the trucks and hang Oshiomhole on it.

As a result of the threat, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, was said to have directed the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Jimeta Lawal, to beef up security around Oshiomhole’s house.