In this interview Honourable Ephraim Otaigbe Aluebhosele, the Deputy Whip of the Edo State House of Assembly, who represents Igueben constituency in the legislature, talks with Isaac Olamikan about some issues of importance in the state.
BEVERLY HILLS, March 01, (THEWILL) – It is being said that the absence of some elected lawmakers in the Edo State House of Assembly is affecting the quality of debate in the house. Do you agree with this?
It seems very funny when you say the number of members in the Edo State House of Assembly affects the quality of debate. Wherever you have two or three people that are intellectually sound one could say that whatever the debate is it would be robust.
Let us take for instance when we had the old Bendel State. I would want to ask how many members actually represented the state at that point in time? There weren’t up to 24 members. I am proud to tell you that the number of members we have in the House is not due to our own making. I must tell you that the debate we are having in the House is very robust because I am part of the people in the house.
The issue of a candidate of Esan extraction emerging as the governor of Edo State in 2024 is now a trending topic in political circles in the state. Recently, a top politician in the state was quoted as saying that Governor Obaseki never made that agreement, that the idea was only used to deceive Esan people. Do you share this view?
As the lawmaker representing Igueben Constituency in the Edo State House of Assembly, my role is actually to have a robust debate and represent my people adequately. I cannot speak on the issue of who becomes governor in 2024 because we just did an election. We have a governor who just came in; who has not fully settled down. Yet, we are talking about 2024. I don’t think I would be part of that debate right now because it is not right at all. We have a governor that we all rallied round. The entire state rallied round him to be elected. He has not even composed his cabinet. Then we are discussing 2024.
Well, for me I am very much concerned about what happened in the House of Assembly and how we are able to assist the governor to achieve his set goals.
Governor Godwin Obaseki has said that he will probe the N30billion Storm Water Project of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s administration. People are saying that Governor Obaseki was part of that administration. Do you think that probe will see the light of the day?
You have heard the number one citizen of the state saying that he wants to probe. What is a probe? It is a holistic work. Like you just said that he was part of the Comrade Oshiomhole led administration. Don’t you see sincerity in him? We should actually give him accolade. It then means that he is one of the most sincere persons we have on earth because he is saying that whoever is involved would be probed. To me, he is doing the right thing. I don’t know who and who is concerned or involved. Just the way you heard about it is the way I also heard about it. As the lawmaker representing Igueben constituency in the Edo State House of Assembly, I am also very happy to see that we want to get to the root of the matter.
What has also being trending in recent times is the issue of insecurity versus armed robbery, cult killings, kidnapping, invasion of communities by killer herdsmen etc. Does it not worry you that the Edo State House of Assembly has not said anything about it?
The issue of banditry, insecurity, as the case may be, is not something that just started today. If you recall, last year we had a motion on the floor of the House that was raised by the member representing Esan West then, who is now the Speaker of the House where we robustly discussed the issue of insecurity in the state. That was when we came up with an idea of how we can bring forward again Forest Guards. To say that the House has not said anything regarding that is not true. We are also doing our best to actually enact some enabling bills that will enhance the security of the state. You know we are legislators. I must tell you that the government is not sleeping over this matter. It is a national issue and I am proud to tell you that the government is on top of it.
As the representative of Igueben Constituency in the Edo State House of Assembly what are your plans to address the sorry state of Idimogo Road in your constituency?
That’s my constituency you just mentioned; It shows that you know Igueben so well. Well, you won’t know Igueben better than I do because that’s where I come from. That’s where I was born and where I currently live. They’re the people that I represent in the Edo State House of Assembly. On the gully you just mentioned, I happen to be the Chairman of the House Committee on Budget and Appropriation. We have so many of such gullies across the state. That gully didn’t just start today. It has been there for more than 25 years now if I am not mistaken. I am proud to say that just recently it has been captured in the current budget and before the year runs out I am proud to say that something would be done regarding that gully. Officials of the state Ministry of Environment have been there. A lot of feasibility studies have been done before now. Money has been appropriated for that gully and I am proud to tell you that something would be done•
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