Opposition Parties Planning To Attack Judiciary, Edo Govt Alleges

By Osariemen Idiaghe

The Edo State Government has raised alarm that the opposition Parties in the state are planning to disrupt activities of the Judiciary.

The Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Hon Chris Nehikhare raised the alarm in Benin City on Sunday while Briefing newsmen.

The Commissioner also warned the people of the state to beware of the antics of the main opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Congress(APC) as the party does not mean well for the state.

Speaking on intelligence report about plans by some politicians to cause chaos in the state aftermath of the likely outcome of the court judgment in a celebrated case between some enigies and the Benin Traditional Council(BTC) on Monday July 15th, Nehikhare stated: “people are sharing messages to incite Edo people on how to go and besiege the courts; how to intimidate the judges and how to generally cause chaos within our society.

“Edo State Government takes this very seriously. All arms of government will be allowed to perform their duties. We’ll not tolerate or allow any group of persons or individuals to constitute themselves into nuisance by attacking lawyers or judges that are performing their roles that the Constitution has assigned to them.”

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He said that investigation has revealed that the plot to incite Edo people against normal judicial processes is being hatched by certain politicians within the All Progressives Congress(APC) and the Labour Party(LP).

“Let them know that Edo State Government will not tolerate it. Tomorrow, Monday, 15th of July, we expect everybody to go about their normal businesses. We will not tolerate or allow hoodlums in any guise to gather or to match towards the courts or be at the court premises intimidating judges or lawyers. Edo State is a peaceful state. We all understand the role assigned to every arm of government – the executive, legislative and the judiciary.”

Nehikhare disclosed that Senator Monday Okpebholo, the APC flagbearer in the state gubernatorial polls coming up on Saturday, September 21st, has confided in some friends that meeting up with the new minimum wage of N70,000 which Governor Godwin Obaseki has graciously approved for civil servants in the state may be a difficult task for him to adhere to if he wins. And the best he can offer is N40,000.

However, responding to the allegations coming from the state government, Comrade Orobosa Omo Ojo, Director of Publicity of APC Edo Governorship Campaign Council said: “The blatant fictional story by the failed People’s Democratic Party(PDP) government in Edo State – alleging that Senator Monday Okpebholo expressed his inability to pay the deceptive N70,000 minimum wage that Governor Godwin Obaseki hurriedly promised Edo State Civil Servants to save his puppet, Asue Ighodalo from his imminent defeat, is nothing but amateurish propaganda coming from a confused government that has consistently taken Edo people for granted.

“The statement shows how low Godwin Obaseki and his gang of capitalist invaders rates the people of Edo State, because the so-called minimum wage is nothing but a criminal facade that is not commensurate with what other civil servants earn in sister states paying N40,000 minumum wage.

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“We challenge Obaseki and his plan-well advisers to do a comparative analysis of Civil Service salaries in Lagos, Delta and Rivers states. The facts out there shows that level 15 officers in Lagos State Civil Service earns about N352,000 after tax, while their counterparts in Edo State earns N250,000. The bulk of the so-called increase is lost to taxes.

“The phantom minimum wage increase is synonymous with the plan-well deceitful socio economic plan that Obaseki and Asue Ighodalo have enforced in almost eight years.

“Sadly, the PDP candidate has told Edo people that he will continue where his godfather stops, which is hardship, bad roads, lack of healthcare, markets and high taxes. Edo voters must therefore do everything logically possible to take back their state.

“On the fear that the opposition parties have planned to protest against the senseless dragging of the Benin Royal Palace to court by some Enigies, with the support of Obaseki, the All Progressives Congress will emphatically want to put on record that the Oba of Benin is father to all responsible Edo sons and daughters and the PDP should therefore not single out the APC if indeed a protest is in the works.

“However, we wish to say here that, the premature weeping by PDP and Obaseki amounts to double standard, because just few days ago, the reckless party led by it’s sacked candidate – Ighodalo held a rally against the judiciary in the city centre that disrupted businesses.

“Their needless and provocative protest was designed to arm twist the Court of Appeal over a High Court judgement that sacked Ighodalo as a candidate in the September 21, 2024 governorship election.”