They Defected Because I Didn’t Put Money In Their Pockets - Oshiomhole

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has made his stand known against members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who defected to rival party.

Punch reports that the state governor said he would not apologise in any way to former members of the APC at the presentation of staff of office to Alhaji Jackson Etokhana as the Oghieavhianwu of Avhianwu.

Oshiomhole, who described how traditional rulers need to be at alert so as to identify politicians who do not have the interest of the people at heart, said:  “So, those who defect because I do not put money in their pockets, let them continue to defect; no apology. Everybody will be remembered when they write the history of politics in Afemai land.”

“We must use every opportunity to educate our people. This afternoon, your Royal Highnesses, I am not asking you to go and carry party cards. I only ask you and your chiefs to educate our people to distinguish politicians, who will stand only when it is good for their family, not when it is good for the larger community.

 He further continued by saying: ”I want it to be said that when I left office, our people started distinguishing thieves from real politicians. Our people must learn to begin to interrogate all manners of political miscreants, who come wanting to cash in on the poverty of our people. I always say that to be poor is not to be crazy. So, we must be clear.

“Those who called for Afemai Agenda believing that when an Afemai man becomes the governor, he will carry state money and share to them. And once they do not get it, they abandon Afemai Agenda and now they have turned only to the agenda of their stomach infrastructure. “You will always be governed by politicians, whether you like it or not, but you must carefully select your politicians on the basis of those who understand that state power is not for the private comfort of those around the state operators.”

However, Oshiomhole promised that neither him nor his administration would interfere with traditional matters as he has great respect for the culture of the land. He further used the opportunity to clear himself saying he would not “sponsor anybody to write a petition against any royal father,” hence, the need for all traditional rulers in the state to be in harmony with his administration.

He assured the newly installed royal father, Alhaji Jackson Etokhana, as well as the entire people of Avhianwu Clan, of government’s continuous support in the provision of infrastructural facilities to the community.

It would be recalled that just recently, the Edo State government, in a bid to keep the people of the state in a healthy state, has set up a committee over the Ebola Virus Disease rampage in the  country.