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Tag: Hon Elisabeth Ativie

  • PDP insists Edo ex-Speaker must face trial 

    PDP insists Edo ex-Speaker must face trial 

    The People’s Democratic Party has insisted that a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Elisabeth Ativie, must be made to face trial if it was discovered that she contravened Section 10 of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Matters Commission (ICPC) Act.

    It said the issue was no longer whether Hon Ativie is made to return the four official vehicles she used as Speaker but whether it was lawful for her to receive gratification for performing a duty for which she was duly elected.

    After weeks of hesitation, Hon Ativie has agreed to return the vehicles following the intervention of party leaders in her Uhunmwode constituency.

    Ativie had alleged that the four vehicles, one Toyota prado jeep, one Lexus jeep 2016 model and two Hilux vans were given to her by former Governor Adams Oshiomhole for the sacrifices she made for stepping down as Speaker.

    She said she has sold one of the after registering them in her name.

    But Comrade Oshiomhole denied asking Ativie to convert the vehicles for her personnel use and called on the state government to prosecute for stealing.

    A statement signed by state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Chris Nehikhare said the intervention by APC leaders and explanations of Oshiomhole were dangerously unacceptable.

    Nehikhare stated that the party will still seek an order of Mandamus to compel the arrest, investigation and prosecution of Oshiomhole and Ativie for their role in the purported sale of government vehicles and property.

    According to the statement, the PDP wants to establish if Adams Oshiomhole as governor had the power to gift government property to Hon. Ativie or anyone else for that matter.

    “That Adams Oshiomhole by gifting out the government vehicles in the circumstances which he said he did, was offering a bribe to a government official?

    “We want to state that Edo PDP is doing this in the interest of Edo people and its assets. A legal resolution of this issue will be a check on the conduct and behaviour of future governors and elected officers of the State and Nigeria at large.

    “A governor must know the limits of his powers and how to exercise them. He must know that deceit and bribery are not acceptable.”

  • Edo Assembly threatens criminal action against ex-speaker

    Edo Assembly threatens criminal action against ex-speaker

    The new leadership of the Edo State House of Assembly has threatened to institute criminal action against a former Speaker of the assembly, Hon Elisabeth Ativie, over refusal of Ativie to return her official vehicles.

    It said claims by the former Speaker that the vehicles were given to her by former governor Adams Oshiomhole were untrue as there was no evidence to show that Oshiomhole and the leadership of the House took such decision.

    Hon Ativie who represents Uhunmwode constituency served as Speaker for 84 days after the impeachment of Hon Victor Edoror.

    Ativie stepped down as a result of political pressure for balance of power in the state and Hon Justin Okonoboh emerged as Speaker while she became Deputy Speaker.

    Last week, both the Ativie and Okonoboh were impeached but Ativie has refused to return her official vehicles.

    Ativie had through her lawyer, Olayiwola Afolabi, written the Assembly that the vehicles were given to her by former Governor Oshiomhole as compensation for relinquishing   her position as Speaker.

    She stated in the letter that she has sold one of the vehicles, a Prado Jeep 2016 model.

    Current Speaker of the Assembly, Hon Kabiru Adjoto, in a letter to Counsel to Ativie’s, lawyer, said the signature in the letter purportedly written to Ativie by Oshiomhole was not genuine.

    Speaker Adjoto  in the letter signed by the clerk of the House, Mr James Omoataman, pointed out that the leadership of the House warned of severe consequences of parading such document.

    Adjoto said original documents of the vehicles were still in possession of the House.

    The letter reads in parts, “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.

    It warned further that “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”.

  • I’ve sold my official vehicle, ex-Speaker tells Edo Assembly 

    I’ve sold my official vehicle, ex-Speaker tells Edo Assembly 

    Immediate past Deputy Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Elisabeth Ativie, has told the new leadership of the Assembly that she has sold one of the official vehicles, a Lexus Jeep 2016 model, given to her when she was Speaker.

    Hon Ativie served as Speaker for 84 days after which she stepped down for Justin Okonoboh to emerge as Speaker for the purpose of balance of power among the three Senatorial districts.

    She was made Deputy Speaker to Okonoboh but both of them were violently impeached on Monday by 16 lawmakers.

    In a letter dated August 16 and signed by the Clerk of the Assembly, James Omoataman, Hon Ativie was asked to return the official vehicles allocated to her as a Deputy Speaker.

    The letter listed the vehicles to include one Prado Jeep, two Hilux vans, and one Lexus Jeep 2016 model.

    In her reply through her Counsel, Olayiwola Afolabi, Hon Ativie said she has registered the vehicles in her name and that she acted as bonafide owner of the vehicles to sell one of them.

    Hon Ativie said the vehicles were permanently given to her by former Governor Adams Oshiomhole as compensation for the sacrifices she made to step down for Okonoboh.

    Ativie urged the Clerk of the Assembly to advice the House leadership properly as the vehicles were no longer official vehicles of the Edo State House of Assembly.

    She quoted part of the letter written by the former governor to read, 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 ”

     

  • Auditors to probe impeached Edo Speaker

    Auditors to probe impeached Edo Speaker

    More troubles appeared to be lurking for the impeached Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Victor Edoror.

    Auditors have been invited to audit finances of the assembly from June last year when the assembly was inaugurated.

    His impeachment paved way for the only female in the House, Hon Elisabeth Ativie to be elected Speaker of the assembly.

    Edoror who is known as ‘Tiger’ was removed on Tuesday in a coup that was carefully planned by 16 lawmakers including three lawmakers from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

    Sources said the lawmakers ate and dined with the former Speaker the previous day without him having any inkling to their plans.

    A lawmaker that previously sided with the impeached Speaker, Hon Osaigbovo Iyoha, has pitched tent with the 16 lawmakers raising their numbers to 17.

    The new Speaker in a chat with newsmen said they discovered that several monies were paid into the account of the former Speaker.

    Ativie said the impeached speaker and his deputy, Bright Osayande, were found wanting of corrupt practices in their financial handling of the House’s affairs and that they ‘were constantly short-changing members in the almost one year legislative calendar thereby living members to their own fate.’

    According to her, “The former speaker was very corrupt. The funniest thing is that he changed the overhead of the House to suit his own ways thereby leaving his colleagues not to be taking care of properly. You journalists can also observe that lawmakers in the Edo Assembly were now living like paupers . I don’t want to go into details of his reckless spendings.”

    “One year into office, members cannot feed properly. The most annoying one is that each time members complain, that’s the POC, who are supposed to take care of members, they failed as the leader of the House because the resources were been diverted and not used for what it’s meant for.

    “The most painful one is that, he will tell us that it is the Chief Executive (Oshiomhole) that was not releasing the fund and that ignited us to be fighting the executive. This almost led to almost three months of war between the legislators and the executive.”

    “One day the governor called a meeting of party elders and the House where he told us how he has attended to twelve out of the fourteen items sent to him for consideration which was not denied by the former speaker.”

    “The moment we establish that there was cheating In the whole process, the members were angered and the more we tried to take care of this, the more revelations we got. Yesterday here, we discovered that certain monies were paid into his private account and I have told the Clerk of the House to write to the auditor general to send us auditors to audit our finances from June last year till May this year.”

    When contacted for comments, the former Deputy Speaker, Bright Osayande, said the probe does not concern him.

    He promised to call our reporter back.

    The impeached Speaker could not be reached for comments.