The Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP), has lambasted Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo over what it described as poor handling of last week’s protest against incessant kidnapping and killing in Ekpoma.
The Coalition in a statement on Tuesday signed by its Chairman, Dr. Samson Isibor, while condemning the arrest and remand of 52 students of Ambrose Alli University, called for the immediate and unconditional release of the students.
He also condemned the hijacking of the peaceful protest by hoodlums, which later escalated into violence.
The statement read in part:
“The Coalition condemned the mishandling of the protest that took place at Ekpoma and environs by the government.
“CRPP calls for the immediate release of the students clamped into the Nigeria Correctional Service. We condemn the mode of arrest of students in their various hostels by the security agencies.
“We also condemned the hijacking of the peaceful protest by hoodlums who turned the peaceful protest to violent, destruction of properties of innocent citizens particularly the Enogie of Ekpoma Palace. It is condemnable and unwarranted.”
The CRPP also blamed Governor Monday Okpebholo’s style of governance for not being proactive to the longtime cry of Edo citizens against the taken over of our bushes, farms, highways by the terrorists, bandits and killer herdsmen.
He went on: “They [bandits] now have the temerity to enter the towns and villages to kidnap our people from house to house. It is horrendous and this is a state that has a Governor.”
Isibor lambasted Governor Okpebholo for allegedly “junketing in a helicopter across the troubled areas”, describing as laughable.
“It could be recalled time without number, we advised the government to set up the Amotekun Security Network, like that of the South West Zone, the governor never heed our advice. Even the so called Edo Security Network he set up were never paid any salaries or equipped them for the risk job they are to do,” he alleged.
