FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY 

Impeached Chairman of Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State, Paul Iyoha, has accused  Governor Monday Okpebholo of orchestrating his removal from office.

Iyoha faulted the process leading to his impeachment, noting that neither he nor other chairmen  were given fair hearing before being suspended by the  House of Assembly. 

He lamented that they were not  properly investigated or given the opportunity to defend themselves.

Iyoha insisted that he had carried out his duties effectively, ensuring  prompt payment of salaries and allowances to councillors and staff.

The impeached council chair, who disclosed these to journalists in Benin City, expressed confidence that the judiciary would address the situation fairly, while  he continues to pursue legal redress. 

Iyoha said his “sins”  was his political allegiance to the Peoples Democratic Party’s, PDP, gubernatorial candidate in the 2024 elections, Dr Asue Ighodalo. 

He discribed his ordeal as driven by political vendetta rather than legitimate governance concerns, adding that, “my only offence is standing by my party’s candidate instead of supporting Governor Okpebholo, who hails from the same ward in Esan Central as myself. 

“As a loyal member of the PDP, I was duty-bound to support my party’s candidate. It is not a crime to work for one’s party. However, the governor has taken my political stance personally and is using his office to punish me.” 

Iyoha alleged that the governor openly vowed that he would not be reinstated as chairman, citing a video purportedly showing Iyoha campaigning against him during the election.

“The governor told people that I will never return to my position because I opposed him politically. This is unfair and undemocratic,” he added. 

He recounted the challenges he faced during the  governorship election, adding that he faced intimidation, including an attack on his residence, abduction of his brother and threats to his safety. 

He claimed these actions were part of a broader effort to suppress opposition voices in the state. 

Iyaho added, “Despite the tension, I attended the governor’s inauguration and sent a congratulatory message, as a gesture of respect for the office.”

He however, criticised the administration for politicising governance by involving party figures in official matters.

 Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Oyo Sector Command  said yesterday that 222 people lost their lives in various road crashes in 2024.

The corps disclosed this in Ibadan in its end-of-the-year statistics signed by the Sector Commander, Mrs Rosemary Alo.

Alo said the figure indicated a reduction compared to the 270 deaths recorded in 2023.

According to her, the figures emanated from 304 road crashes recorded in 2024 and 495 crashes in 2023 respectively.

The sector commander noted that the statistics indicated that 779 people were injured in crashes in 2024 compared with 1,321 in 2023.

“1,795 people were involved in road crashes in 2024, while 2,935 people got involved in 2023.

“The number of crashed vehicles reduced to 412 in 2024 from 794 recorded in 2023,” she said.

The sector commander attributed the 2024 road traffic crash data reduction to aggressive stakeholders sensitisation programmes and enforcement exercises of the corps. 

Alo added that the corps embarked on inclusive advocacy in 2024, sensitising passengers to always engage their rights to speak out when a driver drives recklessly.

“Initially, the focus has always been on drivers, but now, we are telling passengers to note that more people lose their lives in an accident than the driver.

“So, passengers must not be complacent when the driver fails to obey traffic rules,” she said.

She, however, urged drivers and commuters to always see their safety on the road as a joint responsibility to avoid loss of lives and property.

Esther Marcus who claims to be a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, has shared her experience of being underpaid after 35 years of service.

In a viral video, Marcus, who claimed to have joined the force at the age of 16, disclosed that after retiring in 2018, she received N1.7 million as her gratuity and was subsequently placed on a monthly pension of N40,000.

Voicing her frustration over what she called the “dirty contributory pension scheme,” she said, “My name is Esther Marcus, a retired DSP of the Nigeria Police Force. I retired on November 1, 2018. I just want to use myself as a case study. It is applicable to every other police officer under this dirty contributory pension scheme.

“After serving for 35 years, though I joined the Nigeria Police Force at a very young age, I escorted a friend; unfortunately, she was not selected, but I was chosen because I was tall, even though I was not yet 16 when I joined the police. 

“When I retired in 2018, I waited for over a year before I was given N1.7 million after 35 years. Then, after waiting for another three months, they started paying me N40,000 as my monthly pension after giving me N1.7 million and that applies to every other policeman  who retired under this dirty scheme called the contributory pension scheme. That is what we’ve been going through.”

According to her, the federal government has ignored their pleas despite multiple public hearings on the issue.

Marcus added, “This struggle has been ongoing for over 10 years now because when I retired in 2018, there was a police retirees meeting. They started it in 2017 or thereabout and all our cries to the federal government have been met with deaf ears. It is not an insult, but that is the truth.

“They are aware of what we are going through. They have held about three or four public hearings on this case. But when personnel of the army was retiring, the DSS and other paramilitary forces — there was nothing like a public hearing.”

Marcus also highlighted what she saw as inequality within the police force, claiming that senior officers like Assistant Inspectors General, AIGs, Deputy Inspectors General, Digs, and the Inspector General, IGP, have been exempted from this pension scheme.

“The AIGs, DIGs and IGP have exempted themselves from this dirty contributory pension scheme. They only left commissioners of police downwards; they are the ones suffering it.

“The president cannot say he has not heard of this issue. He knows what is happening,” she said.

Marcus, determined to continue the fight for justice, vowed that  retired police officers would not stop advocating for their rights. “Let me tell you, we will never stop fighting because even those coming behind us, you cannot just see  injustice and not fight against it. It is not possible.

“How do you expect me to survive on N40,000? That is for me as a DSP. We have two-star officers and one-star officers who are receiving N28,000 and you want them to survive on this? What offence did the police commit to deserve this ill-treatment?

“We will not stop fighting. What we are planning now is to go and occupy the National Assembly and call CNN to cover the whole programme.”

She added that anyone opposing this reform is akin to a vulture, waiting for the vulnerable to perish.

“Anyone who is against us will not escape from this evil bondage. That person, that man, that group who does not want the police to be exempted from this evil— they are vultures because a vulture only waits for its victim to die, then it comes to feed. And that is what has been happening.”

Marcus  stated that it is unrealistic to expect police officers to stop engaging in corrupt practices when they know retirement will bring them into such financial circumstances.

She said, “You want the police, knowing fully well that when they retire, they are going into hell; you want them to stop corruption? They will continue collecting bribe. They will continue extorting. They will continue enriching themselves by whatever means they can.”