A group within the All Progressives Congress Party (APC), in Edo State, have called on Governor Godwin Obaseki to revisit the strange fire that gutted the State Ministry of Education in June 2013, during the administration of former Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
Leader of the group, Baba Franco, said the call became necessary, following the failure of the panel of inquiry set up by the former Governor to unravel the cause of the fire.
He wondered why the fire gutted the very appartments where primary school certificates were kept, just days after the state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), accused the then Governor of primary six certificate forgery.
According to him, “On June 12, 2013, we woke up to the strange news that about 20 office
apartments had been razed down by fire at the ministry of education.
“We were informed that it is where records are kept, specifically primary school-leaving certificates, as well as teachers’ training grade two certificates belonging to the defunct Midwest, then Bendel state, now Edo and Delta states.
“It was however, quite a coincidence that this unprecedented act of arson happened just after the opposition Peoples Demoncratic Party (PDP) alleged forgery of primary six certificate against former governor.
“As expansive and connected as the ministry of education is, the fire chose to start and end in the section where such records are kept.
“According to the commissioner then, the records lost also included recent primary and secondary school certificates which were gone with the flames.”
The Edo APC leader noted that six years after the fire incident, nothing has been held from the panel that was set up.
He therefore appealed to Governor Godwin Obaseki to set up a committee to investigate and unravel the arsonist that did the heinous act that cost the state millions of naira in property lost as well as records of millions of decent citizens.
Franco who urged all the Benins to unite in support of Governor Obaseki with a view to ensuring that he completes his two terms in office as Governor of the state.
This is even as he urged the lawmakers-elect who are currently in Abuja to come back home to resolve the State House of Assembly impasse amicably.
