BY  SIMON EBEGBULEM

BENIN—Some elder statesmen in Benin Kingdom, led by Chief Igbinokhuae Ediagbonya, Ohen-Igie n’Ogbeson, have called on Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State to ignore defectors from his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, saying that the defectors have no value to add to the development of the state.

The elder statesmen (Ohens), during a courtesy visit to the governor at Government House, Benin City,  said they were amused that the defectors left a people-oriented government to join a party which did not make any impact in the almost 10 years it was in the saddle. They assured the governor that they were solidly behind him as he had performed beyond the expectations of people in the state.

Chairman of the association, Chief Ediagbonya, said: “For sometime now, we have been observing the decamping of some APC members to the opposition party. Do not allow such melodrama to worry you in anyway, because our association is solidly behind you.

“The defectors need to be reminded that the opposition couldn’t establish mass-oriented programmes for the almost 10 years they were in power, but as soon as your government came to power, you swung into action by transforming the entire state to a level that could make it a point of reference to other states of the federation.

“Before you come in as governor, our state capital could not be compared to some local government headquarters in the country, due to the absence of a good leader. Your coming made us to realise that a state could be developed even with scarce and lean resources.

Majority of the indigenes never knew we could have a six-lane road in any part of the state or have walkways for pedestrians on all the major roads and adjoining streets. Since you came in, our roads can compare to those in Abuja, Lagos, Rivers and some other states.”

They urged the governor to ignore the defectors, saying “for those that defected, leave them to their fate. Be rest assured that over 99 percent of the indigenes of the state are solidly behind you due to the massive transformation you have brought to the state.”