Elizabeth Ativie, the lawmaker representing Uhunmwode Constituency in the Edo State House Assembly, is often described as an Iron Lady. Her action during the impeachment of former Speaker Victor Edoror spoke volumes about strong will. Ativie is among the three lawmakers serving their third term in the House. She stoutly defended the Assembly during the reign of Uyi Igbe, when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) attempted to take over the House leadership. She has been the only female lawmaker in the 24-man Assembly for the past 12 years. Ativie has made history as the first female Speaker in the state.
Ativie is the first short-lived Speaker in the House. She spent only 84 days. She is the first Speaker to willingly relinquished her position as by stepping down for the sake of balance of power. She is the first to move from being a Speaker to a Deputy Speaker. She is also perhaps, the first ex-Speaker to convert her official vehicles for personal use. That has become her albatross as the PDP has filed a petition before the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Matters Commission (ICPC) against her.
Besides, the new leadership of the Assembly under Hon. Kabiru Adjoto has threatened to institute criminal proceedings against Ativie, if she fails to return the official vehicles she aused as Speaker. The vehicles are two Hilux vans, a Lexus jeep 2016 model and a Toyota prado jeep. She has returned them.
Ativie was made Speaker in May last year after Edoror was impeached for alleged high- handedness and financial impropriety. She was asked to step down for a lawmaker from Edo Central for the balance of political tripod in the state. It was argued that since the former Governor, Adams Oshiomhole hails from Edo North and his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu, hails from Edo South, the Speaker should to come from Edo Central.
The APC knew the 2016 governorship campaigns would be difficult in Edo Central, if Ativie continued as Speaker. She stepped down in July for a first time lawmaker, Justin Okonoboh, to be made Speaker while she became the Deputy Speaker. Ativie was allowed the use of the official vehicles given to her as Speaker.
On August 14, both Okonoboh and Ativie were removed from office. Okonoboh left the Assembly premises in one of his aides, car as tyres of his official vehicles were deflated while Ativie’s driver managed to take her official vehicles out of the Assembly premises.
Attempts by the new leadership to retrieve the vehicles from Ativie met a brick wall as she replied through her Counsel, Olayiwola Afolabi, that she has sold Lexus Jeep.
Afolabi said his client registered the vehicles in her name and acted as bonafide owner of the vehicles to sell one of them because the vehicles were permanently given to her by Oshiomhole as compensation for the sacrifices she made to step down for Okonoboh.
He urged the Clerk of the House to advice the House leadership properly as the vehicles were no longer official vehicles of the House of Assembly and quoted part of the letter written by Oshiomhole. It to reads: “I wish to convey my compliments and recall the discussion between the leadership of the Edo State House of Assembly and the Executive branch on the geo -political stability of Edo State and the need to engender equity, fairness and sense of belonging amongst all sections and citizens of our dear state.
“ Given the exceptional circumstances surrounding the issues and in an explicit acknowledgement of the enormous sacrifices you were required to make for the peace, security, stability and well-being of our beloved state, the official vehicles attached to the office of the Speaker are now yours.“
But, Adjoto said claims by Ativie that the vehicles were given to her by Oshiomhole were untrue as there was no evidence to show that Oshiomhole and the leadership of the House took such decision.
Adjoto said that the signature in the letter purportedly written to Ativie by Oshiomhole was not genuine. He warned Ativie of severe consequences of parading such document.
He said: “As your client will recall, the said vehicles were purchased for the use of the office of the Speaker when your client occupied the office. Consequently, when she became the Deputy Speaker, the official vehicles were left with her office whilst alternative arrangement were made for the office of the Speaker.
“Despite the clarity of the above, your client deliberately skewed the words used in the purported letter from the former governor claiming that the former governor wrote to say the vehicles were given to her, which is far from the truth.
“Further, the original documents of the vehicles are still in the possession of the House of Assembly till date which means that title to the vehicles were never transferred or intended to be transferred to your client contrary to your client’s assertions.
“Accordingly, I hereby reiterate my instruction and demand your client’s immediate return of the vehicles attached to the office of the Deputy Speaker which are still in her possession. Finally, if your client maintains that she indeed sold one of the vehicles, the Lexus Jeep 2016 model, then we expect that your client will furnish us with the details of sales.
“The House expects to receive all the said vehicles or the vehicles that have not been sold, together with the details of the alleged sale of the Lexus jeep as enumerated not later than 2 days from the date of receipt of this letter. Failure to do so will attract the necessary legal action, both civil and criminal against your client”.
The leadership of the PDP in Edo State has vowed not to allow the APC sweep what it termed criminal acquisition of government properties under the carpet. It has hired the law firm of Dr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa to help recover the vehicles from Ativie for the use of the Edo State Government.
It also gave the law firm the mandate to ensure that all persons ‘involved in criminal acquisition of state properties are prosecuted.’
The Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, put the market value of the vehicles with the former Speaker at N128m. He said the hiring of Dr. West-Idahosa was a follow up to the party’s call on security agencies to question Oshiomhole over missing government vehicles.
He said: “Issues bothering on criminal acquisition of state properties must be treated with utmost seriousness. It is in the light of the development that the PDP mandated the legal firm of West Idahosa to swing into action to ensure that the vehicles in question are retrieved and returned back to government.
“West Idahosa has petitioned the ICPC on behalf of the PDP. This is one matter we will not allow them sweep under the carpet. They cannot take it as an internal affairs of the APC. The anti- corruption crusade of the current government should be all embracing. It should not spare those who belong to members of APC.”
In the petition filed before the ICPC, Hon Ativie is accused of violating sections 10, 19 and 23 of the ICPC Acts.
According to the petition, “being a public officer, she received the said vehicles as benefits in relation to the business of the House of Assembly which is a public body, while serving as an Hon member of the House of Assembly for something alreaddone by her in contravention of the clear provision of Section 10(a)(1) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act.
“She used her position to gratify herself and confer a corrupt advantage of converting the official vehicles for the Office of the Hon Speaker to her own. She was ordinarily not entitled to the use of the said vehicles but for her occupation of the office of Speaker for about 84 days. The glaring corrupt advantage she gave to herself s contrary to Section 19 of the Establishment Act of your commission.”
The PDP also threatened to obtain an order of Mandamus to compel the ICPC to commence criminal prosecution of all those named in the petition if the commission failed to act on the petition within seven working days.
