Obaseki gave the assurance on Thursday, when he held an interactive meeting with youth groups at the Government House, Benin.

He described the Edo protest as politically motivated, following its hijack by agents allegedly determined to cause political instability in the state.

Obaseki said: “I am worried about the level of criminality.

“Part of the fight we had in our first term was the issue of maintaining law and order and fighting criminality.

“Lots of these criminals hid under the cover of the godfathers who called them their infantry, lions and tigers.

“You could see them in the last few days, the way they came out pouncing on people’s private properties.

“The crisis in Edo is not the #ENDSARS protests but political because the government supports the #ENDSARS protests.

“Just as we defeated them in the election, we will contain them. With my #ENDSARS people, we are going to arrest them and put them back to the zoo.”

“Without law and order, there can’t be economic growth because no investors will come here to invest.

According to the governor, his administration recognises the role played by youths in his re-election.

He therefore said that his administration had plans to reward the youths with 60 per cent of appointment of youths under the age of 40 in his second tenure.

He said his government had no problem with peaceful protests, adding, “I asked the police to give you protection but the police authorities have a choice to either obey me or not.

“Our position as a government is to support the position of the #ENDSARS protesters because their demand is legitimate,” he said, and assured the youths that he was on their side.

“The Judicial Panel of Inquiry is the first step to go and we have instructed that the number of members be increased to 20 to accommodate other groups.

“The panel has 90 days and I urge you all to give evidence to the panel, which should be documented to enable us to implement its report.

“Our security arrangements in the country must reflect our federal system because I can’t be a governor of a state and not be able to hire and fire my Commissioner of Police.

“But the #ENDSARS has helped us start the process.

“The Public Works Volunteer is a version of our neighborhood watch in the state.

“We have 900 people being trained. 1,100 others will be trained after this set and another 20 persons per ward will be hired to be in charge of public safety.

“As the governor, I will do everything within my power to have strong internal security because we need to protect ourselves,” Obaseki said.

Our correspondent reports that the meeting was attended by leaders and representatives of over 30 youth organisations in Edo.

A representative of the protesters, Abraham Oviawe, said their demand emanated from the pain Nigerians had suffered in the hands of security operatives over the years.

He thanked the governor for constituting the panel to investigate the excesses of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad and urged him to ensure that the panel discharged its assignment creditably for Edo people.

Oviawe urged the police to be civil in their dealings with members of the public, while urging the police authorities to scrutinise the activities of the anti-cultism unit of the force.

“We urge your government to re-constitute the neighborhood watch and ensure the recruitment process is open and transparent in order to assist community policing in Edo,” he said.

Also, a representative of Civil Society Organisations in the state, Curtis Ogbebor, urged the government to arrest and prosecute those who shot and killed some protesters at Kingsquare in Benin.

A representative of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Steven Imafidon, said that 60 per cent of victims of police brutality were students.

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Obaseki gave the ultimatum while inspecting the correctional centres and the police facilities destroyed by hoodlums in Benin.

Obaseki was accompanied on the inspection of the distroyed facilities by the deputy governor Philip Shaibu, Secretary to State Government, Osarodion Ogie, Chief of staff Ethan Ozamere, DIG Celestine Okoye, and Commissioner of Police Johnson Kokumo among others.

Obaseki said the distructions carried out in the state was never in the spirit of EndSARS but an act carried out by criminal elements.

“This is sheer criminality while the real protesters were focusing on the reform of our policing system and not to destroy government property, destroy prisons, and release inmates.

“We condemn the act wholeheartedly and we expect that even the EndSARS protesters would join us in condemning this dastardly act.

“The government cannot sit down and fold its arms to allow the breakdown of law and order in our society because everybody would be affected.

“Having undertaken the assessment and seen the extent of destruction that has taken place, we would now move swiftly into action.

“Fortunately, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, understanding the gravity of what has happened in Edo has asked the DIG of Police, Celestine Okoye, to come to Benin to put the situation under control.

“We are also fortunate that the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces has allowed the military to join the Police in stabilising the situation to bring things under control.

“What we have a problem with are hooliganism and sheer brigandage and that we will not accept or tolerate in Edo State,” he said.

Obaseki used the opportunity to appeal to all the fleeing inmates to come back on their own before the close of business on Friday.

“If they come in and go to the Nigeria Police Force Command headquarters in Benin nothing will be done to them,” he added.

According to him, those who do not return after Friday night, we have all their records, we have their biometrics, appropriate sanctions will be meted out against them.

Also speaking, Mr Babayo Maisanda, Controller of Correction, Edo Command, said 1,818 inmates were still at large, while 163 were recaptured.

He said the Oko Correctional Centre currently has 182 inmates with 28 of them from Farm Centre adding that the Custodial centre on Sapele Road has 15 inmates.

Maisanda said there was an urgent need to further secure and enhance repairs of the damaged facilities to secure the inmates already captured.

“It is pertinent to note that all efforts at securing our facilities for over six hours of the siege were solely by the men and officers of the correctional service.

“Currently, 10 officers who sustained various degrees of life-threatening injury are receiving treatments at various hospitals in Benin City.”

He expressed appreciation for the concern shown by Gov. Obaseki and called for his assistance and support in this period to keep the prison system operational.

Also, Mr Okoye, a DIG of Police, said the police were doing their best to arrest some of the hoodlums that attacked the police facilities.

Okoye said, “Some arrests were made, we will still get them. They even tried to enter the police command headquarters but they were repelled.

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The Secretary of the tribunal, Mr Sunday Martins, confirmed this to our reporter in Benin on Monday.

Martin’s said that the 21-day window period for the submission of petitions ended on Saturday.

He, however, said that the bailiff had not succeeded in his efforts to personally serve Obaseki the court notice.

He said that the governor “must be served personally because it is an originating process”.

The political parties and their candidates included the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Mr. Ukonga Frank, Allied Peoples’ Movement, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Mr. Agol Ebun, and Action Democratic Party (ADP), Mr. Iboi Emmanuel.

All the petitions joined Obaseki, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as respondents.

The petition by ADP and its candidate had the governor, PDP, INEC and Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress as defendants.

Candidates of APP and AA petitions were challenging their unlawful exclusion from the ballot papers by INEC, after having been validly-nominated by their party, in line with the Electoral Act.

They were praying the tribunal to nullify the election and order a fresh poll to be conducted within 90 days.

They demanded that validly-nominated candidates should be included in the new ballot papers.

On their part, APM and NNPP were challenging the validity of Forms EC9 and CF001, reportedly submitted by Obaseki in respect of the 2020 and 2016 governorship polls in the state.

Also, ADP and Emmanuel were asking the tribunal to look at the list of Vice Chancellors (VC) of the University of Ibadan (UI), from 1947 to date, E-newspaper publication that announced the death of Prof. Tekena Tamuno, among other documents.

Emmanuel alleged in his petition that Tamuno, who was the VC of UI, from December 1975 to November 1979, could not have signed the certificate Obaseki allegedly presented to the APC for screening.

He also alleged that the purported university degree, which Obaseki claimed was issued by UI, had no date on it.

The ADP candidate therefore argued that Obaseki was not qualified to run for the poll, adding that votes credited to him were null and void and of no effect and value.

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The petitioners are challenging the validity of Forms EC9 and CF001, submitted by Obaseki in respect of the 2020 and 2016 governorship polls in Edo.

Emmanuel is asking the tribunal to look at the list of Vice Chancellors of the University of Ibadan (UI), from 1947 to date, E-newspaper publication that announced the death of Prof. Tekena Tamuno, among other documents.

He alleged in his petition that Tamuno, who was the Vice-Chancellor of UI, from December 1975 to November 1979, could not have signed a certificate, which Obaseki allegedly presented to the APC for screening.

He also alleged that the purported university degree, which Obaseki claimed was issued by UI, had no date.

The ADP candidate therefore argued that Obaseki was not qualified to run for governorship poll, adding that votes credited to him were null and void and of no effect and value.

The petitioners averred that they would rely on Forms EC9 and CF001 submitted by Obaseki to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the 2020 and 2016 elections in Edo.

They also hoped to rely on the affidavit allegedly deposed to by the governor in the FCT Court on July 7, 2016, allegedly bearing July 6, 1979 as well as the UI Certificate.

Other respondents in the petition included the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress and INEC.

Our correspondent reports that the tribunal, sitting in Benin, also received a petition by the Action Peoples Party, challenging its unlawful exclusion from the poll.

The Secretary of the tribunal, Mr Sunday Martins, who confirmed the receipt of the two petitions to NAN on Thursday, said that filing of petitions would end on Saturday.

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Obaseki made the remarks on Wednesday in Port Harcourt when he led some political leaders of the state on a thank you visit to Governor Wike at the Rivers Government House.

He also stated that a major pillar in his electoral victory had been God, who crowned the efforts of all his supporters.

According to Obaseki, the Edo electoral victory strategies were hatched in Rivers.

He noted the commitment of Gov. Wike in ensuring electoral victory for him by relocating to Edo, in spite the needless attacks from the opposition.

“After I was pushed out of my former Party, this house was the first place I sought solace. You took me in as a brother, out of the storm, changed my clothes and gave me food to eat.

“It was in this house, the Campaign Council met to work out the key strategies that led us to victory.

“You mobilised people across the country. You moved to Benin, went through the humiliation and attacks. You supported us and we won.

“It will be a sin against God if we do not come to say thank you. Even if the victory we are celebrating is from God. He has used people like you to make it happen,’’ Obaseki said.

In his response, Wike said his support was informed by the fact that Gov. Obaseki was courageous and fearless.

According to him, standing against forces of godfatherism is not easy, but Obaseki made himself available to protect the interest of the Edo people.

“Our work would have been difficult if he did not make himself available. I cannot support a lily-hearted person. Gov. Obaseki was firm.

“It is not easy to fight godfatherism. But he has the interest of Edo people at heart. Together, we have conquered,’’ he said.

Wike also said that he had been calling for unity within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on which platform that Obaseki won the election.

He said that when Obaseki joined the PDP he pushed for all interests to be considered.

“That position paid off because the Party went into the electoral battle as a united family and clinched the victory.

“I did not want any division. I insisted that it will be good we are all together. This will make it easy to go into the electoral battle and win.

“I thank you my brother, Obaseki, for carrying everybody along in the Party. Edo people are also looking up to you to forgive everybody.

“Forgive your political opponents. I am happy that today, South-South is under one political party. This will make for integration. We can speak with one voice in moving Nigeria forward. This is the sweetest electoral victory I have ever witnessed,” he said.

The wife of the Edo governor, Betsy Obaseki, who presented souvenirs to Wike and his wife, Justice Suzzette Wike, at the occasion, said that the items would serve as symbols that would strengthen the existing friendship.

According to her,“we have to remain as one to attain the desired plans of God’’.

The Edo governorship poll was held last Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020.

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Obaseki emerged candidate after two other aspirants, Mr Omeregie Ogbeide-Ihama representing the Oredo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and Mr Ken Imasuangbon finally stepped down from the race.

It was reported that one of the aspirants, Mr Gideon Ikhine, had on Monday stepped down for the governor.

Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, who was the Chairman of the Governorship Primary Committee, said that voting still took place in line with the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act as well as acceptable democratic practices.

Mohammed said that that Obaseki polled 1,952 while 72 votes were declared invalid from the 2,020 total vote cast.

He said that the total delegates were 3,234.

It was reported that the result was declared by the chairman of the committee after it was confirmed by Independent National Electoral Commission officials as well as security agencies.

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The purpose of the visit was however, not disclosed but the two governors later held a closed-door meeting at the Government House.

It was reported that Obaseki’s visit to Wike is coming on the heels of the disqualification of the former from contesting the upcoming Edo governorship election on the platform of the APC.

The APC had approved its screening and appeal committees’ reports which disqualified Obaseki and two others from participating in the June 22 governorship primaries in Edo.

The party’s National Working Committee (NWC), led by its National Chairman, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, announced Obaseki’s disqualification on June 13 at a news conference in Abuja

Oshiomhole said the NWC, which reviewed the two reports, noted with satisfaction that members of the committees were unanimous in their decisions.

The appeal panel, headed by Prof. Abubakar Fari also upheld the outcome of the screening committee, while presenting the report to Oshiomhole at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.

Political observers in Port Harcourt said that Obaseki’s visit to Wike might not be unconnected with his disqualification by the APC from participating in the party’s governorship primaries and that he might be seeking to join the PDP to contest the governorship election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has slated Sept. 19 for the governorship poll in Edo.

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Oshiomhole spoke when he received Obaseki, who led members of his cabinet to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir festival with his former boss, at his Iyamoh residence in Estako West Local Government Government Area of Edo.

Speaking to journalists after a closed-door meeting which lasted for about an hour, Oshiomhole said the meeting was not unusual as he was in constant touch with Obaseki.

According to Oshiomhole, “from time to time, we have always been meeting. It is not an unusual visit, the meeting afforded me the opportunity to meet with my brother and with people I have worked with.”

Oshiomhole described the seeming rift as the unfortunate creation of people with personal interest and the media, whom he said liked creating factions for their own gain.

On his part, Obaseki noted that the visit to his predecessor was not unusual, saying that he decided to celebrate Sallah with his former boss.

He said the visit was to celebrate Edo leaders just as the former APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, was celebrated by the state earlier in the day.

“There is nothing unusual about this meeting; today is Sallah and we have just finished celebrating with the former APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun in Benin City.

“And we decided to come here to celebrate Sallah with my predecessor,” the governor said.

He added that people who think there was a rift between him and his predecessor should stop thinking like that.

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Obaseki made the statement when he received the report of the Joint Implementation Team on Public and Secondary School Library System in Edo in Benin on Tuesday.

The governor said that in an era of technology, digitalised library services were needed to promote the reading culture and move pupils away from home videos.

“Our plan is to facilitate every local government headquarters with solar panel electricity to power offices and libraries to be set up.”

The governor said that even government materials needed to be preserved through digitisation as it was difficult getting ready materials from past regimes, such as the Samuel Ogbemudia Midwest administration.

He gave an assurance that the state library services would be given a facelift through the provision of state-of -the art facilities, such as laptops, iPads and desktop computers.

The governor reiterated the need to give back to the people in the area of human capital using the library to create a sustainable learning environment in the education sector.

He commended members of the team for living up to the confidence reposed in them and assured them that their recommendations would be considered.

He, however, noted that government would seek the services of professional librarians with the right frame of mind to help manage public library facilities.

Earlier, the Chairperson of the committee, Prof Grace Sanni, thanked the governor for finding them worthy to serve on the committee

Sanni gave insight of the committee’s recommendations to include the need for government to employ professionals in the management of public libraries.

She said the committee recommended, among others, the establishment of e-library in all the 18 local government areas of the state.

The team also recommended the encouragement of the private sector to take library development as part of corporate social responsibility to give opportunities to the physically challenged to use modern library facilities, she said.

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