By Gabriel Enogholase

BENIN—An operator of a filling station located on Ring Road, Benin, Edo State, Mr. Pius Okan has accused the governor of the state of personally carrying out illegal demolition of his filling station.

Mr. Okan, who spoke in Benin, yesterday, while conducting journalists round the filling station, said that the governor, personally supervised the destruction of his filling station despite the fact that issues concerning the Certificate of Occupancy of the land housing the filling station was before a court of competent jurisdiction.

However, Edo State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Francis Evbuoman, while reacting to the alleged demolition of Mr. Okan’s filling station, said “The Edo State Government purchased the property about four years ago and we gave him quit notice to him to relocate the filling station and he refused to do so.

“He was given another quit notice about a month ago to relocate the property and he ignored it and he did not shown us papers that he owns the property and we are not aware that he is in court. Government is only trying to recover its property because we discovered that people were erecting illegal buildings with shops and leasing them out to people.”

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state has described the partial demolition of the filling station as “barbaric and executive rascality,” demanding an explanation for the action.

State PDP chairman, Chief Dan Orbih,  when he visited the filling station in company of Senators Matthew Urhoghide and Ehigie Uzamere said that it was shocking that the state government, instead of being custodian of laws, now takes laws into its hands.

Orbih said, “One is not surprised by the action of the governor going by his antecedents. The governor has clearly shown that he does not respect the law. We will not allow him to trample on the right of an innocent Nigerian this time around.”

Okan while lamenting the action of the governor, said “It was on Wednesday that the governor stormed this place accompanied with Area Boys and bulldozers and started destroying the whole place. They are aware that the matter is in court as they were duly served. ”