Residents applaud Oshiomhole over sack of committee chairman

 
Edo indigenes on Tuesday applauded Gov. Adams Oshiomhole for ordering the arrest of the sacked Chairman of the Task Force on Demolition of Illegal Property, retired Major Lawrence Loye.

Oshiomhole on Monday relieved Loye of his appointment after accusing him of gross negligence in the performance of his duties.

The governor was irked by the illegal demolition of a building belonging to Dr Samuel Ogbemudia, on Siluko road and other unauthorised demolition of bbuildings in the state.

Ogbemudia was at different times, governor of defunct Bendel and Edo Oshiomhole said the purpose of Love's action ``is to bring confusion to the community and confuse the people about the genuineness of our intention,''

The governor made the remark while on an inspection tour of one of the illegally demolished buildings.

“As you have seen, this building that he has been destroyed does not in any way affect the moat. There is enough space between the property and the moat.

“The fact that you work for government does not give you licence to visit harm and destruction on innocent people. I am convinced that he acted in bad faith, he acted in mischief,'' he said.

Meanwhile many of the residents whose houses are marked for demolition have decided to take their cases to the government house for review.

Madam Comfort Aguebor, whose house was marked for demolition commended Oshiomhole for the public confession that the Loye never acted in good faith in the course of his assigned duties.

She told NAN that ``I have not been sleeping at all even though my children have assured me that my approval was genuine and that the committee wrongly marked my house.

`` I have been feeling very bad until yesterday when the governor sacked the chairman''.

Mr Johnbull Okoro, a landlord told NAN that ``we had concluded before yesterday that government was selective in its demolition of structures.

``Because we have seen the members of the committee leaving houses that are right on the moat alone while they mark, harass and demolish houses erected several years ago with government approval.

`` So we have thought that it was selective justice on the part of government until Oshiomohole told the world that the chairman was acting alone,'' he said.

But the residents urged the governor to extend the same treatment to other committees whose leadership was becoming too officious in their assignments.