By Balarabe Oshiafi
The Executive Chairman of Akoko-Edo local government area (LGA) Honourable Alabi Bliss Oshionogue has blamed the opposition People’s democratic party (PDP) for the protest in Igarra saying that they seized the occasion of his absence to engineer Wednesday’s protest which halted economic activities in the area.
In a news release signed by his chief press secretary (CPS), Ajayi Julius and made available to ExpressDay Newspaper, the Chairman said, protesters led by one Alaba Lawani and who were sponsored by (PDP) in the local government embarked on the protest on the federal highway despite being aware that the council is working on the bad spots on the road.
“For the records, this protest that is being orchestrated by the PDP is a fallout of the sense of shame of the misgovernance of the immediate past council chairman, Hon. Tajudeen Alade Suleman.
“For instance, the Sasaro axis of the Auchi-Igarra-Ibillo federal highway which is the bane of their protest was strategically occupied by boulders influenced by Hon. Tajudeen Alade and donated by miners operating in the local government area to the Alade-led administration for palliative work on the road owing to its deplorable nature and a major flashpoint for kidnappers but suffice it to say that nothing was done in this regard and the situation constituted more trouble for motorists.
“Given the unfortunate reality the present leadership of the LGA under Rt. Hon. Alabi Bliss Oshionogue swung into action as a proactive and responsive government to address these infrastructural decay on assumption of office few months ago, all aimed at correcting the ills of the immediate past administration.
“There is an ongoing rehabilitation exercise on that portion of the road that would extend to the Aiyetoro-Uneme Nekua-Ekpesa and Ibillo axis of the road.
“We are demonstrating practical governance as a proactive and responsive government in the area of community earth roads grading, restoring of faulty Electrical transformers by the success secondary school junction in Ugbogbo quarters, repairs of moribund borehole at makeke, provision of relief materials to victims of recent rainstorm disaster among others.
“All these intervention are in consonance with the SHINE AGENDA mantra of Edo State government under the able leadership of His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
“The resurgence of kidnapping and epileptic power supply in the locality is the handiwork of mischief makers and agent of darkness who do not see anything good in our administration since the ouster of the erstwhile council chairman, Hon. Alade Tajudeen Suleman from office due to maladministration.
“From the foregoing, we urge security agencies to ensure that this protest is not orchestrated to unleash mayhem on perceived political enemies as well as locals going about their normal businesses.
“”We are on top of the situation as a government to ensure that this anti people action does not snowball into a full blown crises as it is the intention of their sponsors.
“As a government, we will not condone any act of lawlessness and brigandage from anybody, no matter how highly placed.
“On this note, may we urge the good people of Akoko-Edo to go about their normal businesses as there is no course for alarm.
Whatever the sponsored protesters are protesting about is a figment of their own imagination, because we have embarked on massive development of our local government since we came on board as already enumerated.
We will not be distracted by their shenanigans as their intention is to heat up the polity and create fear and apprehension in the minds of our already politically impoverished people”
