Edo Demolishes Ogbemudia’s Houses

Posted by admin Edo, State News Saturday, September 10th, 2011

Two houses belonging to two-time governor of defunct Midwest Region and later Bendel State, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, on Friday, demolished by the Edo State Task Force Committee on Illegal Structures.

The buildings, located at Number 129, Siluko Road in Benin City, the state capital, were demolished for purportedly blocking the right of way of the Benin moat.

The houses, which comprised two blocks of eight flats, were pulled down a few days after the government destroyed the house of another Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and former Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Roland Owie, for allegedly obstructing passage of flood water into the moat.

But a former Commissioner of Education in the state and daughter of Dr. Ogbemudia, Ms. Uyi Ogbemudia, told journalists that the buildings were the property of her mother, Mrs. Clara Ogbemudia, who had nothing to do with party politics as she was not a member of any party.

She said the buildings had a valid approval from government and wondered why it demolished it, just as she described the action of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)-led administration in the state as “selective destruction and politically motivated.”

She added, “The buildings belong to my mother. They tried similar things two years and they later came to apologise. Now, you can see what they have done. It is very unfair. I tell you, it is selective destruction and politically motivated. You can see for yourselves. If you measure the land, you can see that they made a grave mistake, that they are just being mischievous and wicked.”

Ms. Ogbemudia was a commissioner during the PDP-led administration of Governor Oserheimen Osunbor.wp_posts