From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City
A FORMER Commissioner for Youths and Sports and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Brown Ebewele, including about 2,000 of his members at the weekend in Uromi, Esan North-East Local Council, defected to the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Edo State.
The leader of the legislative arm of the council, Kenneth Abulimen, as well as Ojay Edenojie, Mr. Akahator Arnold, Jully Iyoha, Mega Prince, Pat Agbonkhese and Dan Okojie, who also left the PDP, said they were already relishing the freedom that had eluded them in their former party.
Addressing a mammoth crowd, the defectors said their former party was being strangulated by an individual. Uromi is the home of the erstwhile chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih.
Governor Adams Oshiomhole, who arrived at the venue of the event in a helicopter right from Ekiti State where he had gone to witness the swearing-in ceremony of the new governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, said there was a wind of change blowing across the country and urged Edo people to be part of it.
Oshiomhole said the struggle for credible elections is a struggle for the people. He stated that his administration had commenced the construction of the Amedese-Ugboha and Arhue-Uzememe roads, just as he disclosed that his administration would commence the construction of industrial boreholes in Uromi before the month's end..
"I am glad that we have credible men and women who have realised that the struggle we are waging in Edo State is a struggle for the ordinary people. It is not about me, it is not about themselves, it is not about any individual. We do not accept that it is impossible to get water in Uromi. Like I told the Enogie of Uromi, that this month, we will commence here in Uromi the drilling of industrial boreholes and water will flow.
"It will no longer be what you found in a private hotel, not too far away. This month, we are coming to commission two schools in Esan land. The A.C.C. Irrua and St. John Bosco Ubiaja. We are not only rebuilding them, we also are re-equipping them. I am proud to say that we have not come to Uromi today to lament that Edo State is broke. I have come to Uromi to point out what we are already doing. Here in Uromi, we are doing two different roads: Amedese-Ugboha road and Arhue-Uzemema road. By the special grace of God, I have not yet done two years in office. In our first 22 months, I am proud to say we have done this in Uromi", he said.
Oshiomhole also refuted allegations that he had been disrespectful to elders. He said: "We like to respect elders but we also believe that the young shall grow. I want to repeat, I have respect for elders because after all, in my tradition if you do not respect elders, then you are disrespecting your future. But every elder should also encourage the young people to grow and to become bigger than them".
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