Oshiomhole Urges Ex- Edo Speaker, Ativie To Return Official Vehicles

By Lucky Isibor

Former Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, on Wednesday urged the former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Elizabeth Ativie to return the vehicles she used while in office.

Oshiomhole, who denied asking Ativie to convert the vehicles to her personal use, said he lacked the power to give out vehicles belonging to the Assembly.

Ativie served as Speaker for 84 days before she stepped down to become the Deputy Speaker.

She was impeached as deputy speaker on August 14 but refused to return her official vehicles.

She had told the new leadership of the Assembly headed by Hon. Kabiru Adjoto that the vehicles were given to her by Oshiomhole as compensation for the “sacrifice” she made by stepping down as speaker for an Esan lawmaker to emerge as speaker.

The former speaker said she registered the vehicles – two Hilux vans, a Toyota Prado jeep and a Lexus jeep 2016 model – in her name and had sold one of them.

Speaking to journalists at his Iyamho residence, Oshiomhole said Ativie was only asked to use the vehicles as deputy speaker and not to convert them to her personal properties.

He said Ativie should be prosecuted if it was true she actually registered the vehicles in her name and sold one of them.

Meanwhile, Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a step to assist the State House of Assembly in recovering the official vehicles allegedly given to the former Speaker of the State Assembly, Hon Elisabeth Ativie by the immediate past Governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

The chairman of Edo state chapter of PDP, Chief Dan Orbih said the party has mandated the law firm of Dr. Ehiogie West Idahosa to recover the vehicles for the use of the State House of Assembly.

While pointing out that the party hired the law firm following alleged plot by some  APC leaders to sweep the matter under the carpet by treating it as a party affair, Chief Orbih stated that the vehicles in question belonged to Edo State Government and not the All Progressive Congress.