By Gabriel Enogholase

BENIN—LAST week’s disbandment of Edo State Transport Management Agency, EDSTMA, by Governor Adams Oshiomhole has been described by the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as a shock, saying that it was a policy somersault by the government.

Gov. Oshiomhole

The party said that the sudden disbandment of the parastatal established with fanfare with state funds poured into its operations by the state government, was an attestation that the Oshiomhole administration was not being truthful on the reasons behind the government’s action.

State Chairman of the PDP, Dan Orbih, spoke in Sabongida Ora, Owan West Local Government Area of the state while receiving defectors from the All Progressives Congress, APC and the Social Democratic Party, SDP into the PDP.

Among those who joined the PDP on the occasion included a former chairman of the ACN/APC and SDP in the council, Peter Uwagboe and Pastor Ojo Agge respectively; a former SDP House of Assembly candidate for the council, Gavin Igboin, and about 3,500 others.

Orbih said for the PDP, the disbandment of EDSTMA was not shocking as it confirmed the party’s warning to the people of the state that the governor would begin to dissociate himself from his policies as the time of election approaches.

“Oshiomhole told a big lie when he said EDSTMA officials were not employed, constituted and empowered by his government to harass, intimidate and collect levies and fines from innocent Edo road users.

“Oshiomhole wants us to believe that his government is not connected to EDSTMA, even though EDSTMA’s offices were scattered all over Benin including its operational headquarters at the Ministry of Works located on Sapele Road.”

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, the former ACN /APC chairman, Uwagboe, accused the incumbent Edo State Government of abandoning Owan West council for eight years, adding that it was time to vote for a party that would develop the council.