PDP has nothing to campaign with in Edo — Eribo

Mr. Crosby Osadolor Eribo is the member representing Egor constituency and chairman House committee on Appropriation. He was a three term Chairman of Egor Local Government. In this interview, he speaks on issues pertaining to the forthcoming local government elections, rebuffs allegations against Governor Adams Oshiomhole raised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) among other issues. Excerpts: By Simon Ebegbulem Why is the Edo State House of Assembly seen as being subservient to Governor Oshiomhole? I categorically want to say that the Edo State Sixth Assembly is not an appendage of the executive arm of government. The fact that we in the APC are in majority does not mean we should not have good working relationship with our PDP brothers. And our views are always of the same opinion because we have not gone out of our way to do what is wrong. What people don’t even understand is that we check the executive seriously in house but it is not something we can go out to tell world about and that is why we are all proud with what the Comrade Governor is doing. Why was it then difficult for the Speaker to swear in the PDP lawmaker from Etsako? The whole world got it wrong. I happened to be in the Speaker’s office when the Speaker himself advised the gentleman to go to Abuja and authenticate his certificate of Return because I think there were one or two petitions as regards to that. And this would not have taken the gentleman one or two days to handle but unfortunately his party the PDP went round town to make noise about this. But I can tell you that the Speaker was not just being vindictive he was just following the rule of law whereby you as a lawmaker should abide by the constitution. The courts have decided and the gentleman has been sworn in and he is already part of us. As we are talking now, we are twenty members of the APC and four PDP members. People misunderstood the situation, it was just a mere advise but the PDP decided to blow it up. How is your party going to get credible person to succeed Oshiomhole? There is no shadow of a doubt about the forthcoming election that APC will win. Tell me what the PDP has done that they are going to use to campaign
. It is normally said that if you are not popular you cannot rig election, so assuming they are hoping to rig they cannot rig in this environment. Am aware that they have been campaigning that the APC government is over taxing the people which is a big lie. The taxes being paid today have been there but what happened was that the Oshiomhole administration decided to implement it because it is a serious administration and that is why today we have good roads. PDP governorship aspirant, Osaze Ize-Iyamu recently alleged that N30billion was expended on Edo University Iyamho to the detriment of other higher institutions in the state, how do you react to that? When that same man was in the ACN then, he was dining and wining with the Comrade Governor. He was the right hand man of the governor, why is it that it is now that he went to PDP he is criticizing even the good works of the governor? He should stop fooling people and if he has records of the money as he said he should come forward with them and tell the whole world. Outgoing governor Don’t forget that if you point at some body, the remaining four fingers are pointing back at you, he should know that. Rather than criticizing Oshiomhole as he is doing now, he should tell Edo people what he wants to do for them. He is acting like somebody who is empty in terms of ideas, criticizing Oshiomhole and outgoing governor who unfortunately for him has done well for the people, that will not help him. And let me tell you, as the member representing Egor constituency, we have seen elections in this state and the forthcoming elections will be easier for the APC. But the governor is being accused of alleged attempt to impose a candidate for the party? I have always said it, it is only natural for every parent to like one child more than the others, you might not show it but it is the truth. The governor probably has a soft spot for Obaseki whom he has worked with over the years and I don’t see anything wrong in that.