By TheNewspad
The danger looming between Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki and Edo State House of Assembly has become explosive.
Membership of the house now cuts across three political parties, but the Governor’s overbearing attitude towards the Edo State House of Assembly has complicated issues.
The Governor expects them especially the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) members to remain grateful to him in view of how he ensured their electoral victories into the Assembly when hope was almost lost completely.
Even the uncertainty of their fate at the election petitions tribunal has made the Assembly members cautious in making demands.
They know he has the wherewithal to turn the table in their favour.
For instance, there has been believable speculations that the Governor has decided to give members of the Assembly refurbished Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) as official vehicles.
Most of the members objected to this decision by the governor. The lawmakers have being using their personal vehicles since the inauguration of the 8th Assembly.
Dependable sources revealed that the speaker Blessing Agbebaku once told select journalists to record and publish 14 SUVs, which were displayed in Edo State Government house few months ago.
The media stunt was made to counter speculations making the rounds that Governor Obaseki has not provided them with official vehicles.
In a quasi press briefing that followed the display of the vehicles in government house, the Hoise of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Blessing Agbebaku said that the vehicles were 14 contrary to the 7 that were openly displayed in government House.
The speaker’s desire to be economical with the truth is a form of recompense for the Governor’s choice of him as speaker of the house. ‘The vehicles are coming in batches. Above all the welfare of the constituents is more important to the members than their personal comfort ‘.
As a matter of fact, the Speaker can’t forget in a hurry how the governor bulldozed the way for him to emerge as speaker. That makes it clear why the member representing Esan South East constituency Sunday Ojiezele was conspicuously absent when all members went to the Speaker to congratulate him on his new position on the day of inauguration.
‘He too is a two-timer and experienced enough to steer the affairs of the House. But the governor chose Agbebaku who has more propensity for violence and hooliganism to stand any anti-governor’s uprising in the House’ Assembly sources said.
The issue of monthly emoluments for members has also been a factor that cannot be wished away in shaping the relationship between the Governor and the State parliament.
The seventh Assembly which was made up of ten members claimed to be doing the work of twenty four members and were getting the emoluments of twenty four members. The 8th Assembly members are aware of this and so they have insisted on being paid the same double emoluments.
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