The days of Hon Kabiru Adjoto as the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly may be numbered as traditional rulers in the state have insisted that a lawmaker from Edo Central senatorial district must be made Speaker for the purpose of equity and justice.
Hon Adjoto who hails from the same senatorial district with the Deputy Governor, Hon Philip Shaibu, emerged Speaker last week after the impeachment of Hon Justin Okonoboh, a lawmaker from Edo Central.
The traditional rulers spoke yesterday at a summit of Edo North and Edo Central traditional rulers held at Auchi, headquarters of Estako West local government area.
Otaru of Auchi, HRH Alhaji Aliru Momoh, Ikelebe III, who addressed journalist at the end of the summit, said they supported comments of the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewaure II, who described the action of the lawmakers as an act of barbarism and hooliganism.
The Otaru noted that the power balancing factor in the state has been displaced with the removal of Okonoboh as Speaker.
His words, “We are meeting the Oba. We will send delegation to the Benin Monarch to inform him that we support him on his comments as regards what happened at the Edo State House of Assembly.
“We feel that equity, justice must prevail. Edo Central must have somebody who should be the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly. We are going to see what we can do to bring justice to the state over that matter. A balancing factor has to be made which was in place. That has been displaced and it is not a good thing for us if we have to navigate justice.”
On the call for restructuring by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the Otaru stated that they resolved that Nigeria does not need restructuring but justice and restructuring of the heart.
He said there would no clamour for restructuring if every Nigerian were treated equally.
His words, “We felt that restructuring is nothing to do other than justice. Justice has no boundary. Everybody has to be treated equally. We appeal that everybody has to restructure their heart to do the good thing.
“Restructuring is not the problem of this country but the restructuring of our heart to the belief that we are all one nation. If we have good roads, water, railways, nobody will be talking about restructuring because the poor and the rich will have an environment that provides for all. The structure of wages and salaries is lopsided. We feel that the salary of the top should reduce and the bottom should rise. There should be a living wage for the low income earners.”
