ZAKAWANU REMAINS EDO HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY SPEAKER

Zakawanu remains Edo House of Assembly Speaker - Orbih

From AIDOGHIE PAULINUS, Abuja
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Chief Dan Osi Orbih, has insisted that the Speaker of the House remains Hon. Zakawanu Garuba. Chief Orbih told Daily Sun in an exclusive interview in Abuja that what has been happening in the Assembly was a political meeting of the Action Congress (AC) and not a meeting of the Edo State House of Assembly.

According to Chief Orbih, 'the speaker was not impeached. The constitution clearly states that you need two-thirds of the members of the House to impeach a speaker. Two-thirds of 24 is 16 and those who are parading themselves to have purportedly removed the speaker are 13.

'Before the eruption of the crisis, we had 12 PDP and 12 AC members in the House. One of our members, Bright Omokhodion, crossed to join the AC and that gives them 13. They would only say they have impeached the speaker except they don't know elementary arithmetic. 12 + 1 is 13 and not even Chike Obi has been able to evolve a theory that says 12 + 1 is now 16 except Adams Oshiomhole's mathematics.

The speaker was never removed and until they go through the constitutional requirement of removing a speaker, what we have today is 13 AC members holding AC meeting in the chambers of the Edo State House of Assembly. I have since directed the police to chase them out and confine them to the AC party secretariat because what has been taking place there is a political meeting of the AC as a party,' Orbih stated.

Chief Orbih berated Governor Oshiomhole who he said, 'opens his wide mouth every minute talking about the PDP as evil.'

Chief Orbih further said Governor Oshiomhole should be asked why he is always shopping for evil men and women each time he is looking for people to join his party. According to Chief Orbih, 'it shows that Oshiomhole is actually in a party that is considered to be a minority party that is looking for members to beef up their support.'

Further berating the governor, Chief Orbih said, 'it is obvious that Adams has not performed in Edo State. You don't need anybody to tell you that he has not performed. So far, after one year in office, it is very obvious to the blind walking in the streets of Benin that Adams has not performed and he is a man who came to government without a programme. The only visible programme he has starts with Chief Anenih and ends with Chief Anenih and it is obvious that at the end of his tenure, he will not be adjudged by the amount of abuses he rained on a man who doesn't even care about him.'

Calling on the governor to play by the rules of democracy, Chief Orbih said, 'it is expected that as one who came into government by the rules of the court process, he should respect the judiciary as an important organ of government and learn the way other governors conduct themselves.

'I keep saying that in Anambra State, the governor has no single member in the state House of Assembly and for four years, he has successfully worked with the state Assembly and has been re-elected for a second term. People should learn and cultivate the spirit of co-existence. Oshiomhole should cultivate the spirit of tolerance. PDP has been in government for a long period and if the PDP had done what Adams is doing now, he would not have had a place to go to in Edo State,' he said.

'I have always known that he will not be able to deliver on the promises made and it is just unfortunate that the people are beginning to know that it was a mistake to have even given him a chance. After this bad chapter of Adams Oshiomhole's tenure, there will be bright light at the end of the tunnel. PDP will regain Edo State and give it the leadership it deserves,' he remarked.