Mr Cole-Asa Edison, a native of Umutu in Ukwuani LGA of Delta State had narrated how he was arrested by Hon (Dr) Alphonsus Ojo, the member representing Ukwuani Constituency at the State House of Assembly to our Correspondent.
Narrating his ordeal with Hon Ojo, he said that their relationship dates back to 2011 elections, when he fronted for Dr Ojo to win his house of assembly election under the Democratic Peoples Party, (DPP) before decamping to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Having secured his seat at the Delta state house of Assembly through the DPP ticket,Dr. Ojo relationship with him was nothing to write home about, and they went their own different ways from 2011 till January 2015.
However, on the 15 of January 2015, Dr Ojo and PDP Chairman for the LGA, Mr Monday Ossai sent for him to be reconciled but did not respond to them immediately, instead he chose his own time to answer them.
When Edison got to Ojo’s house to answer the call, Monday Ossai was equally there. The high point of their discussions with Edison was centred on how to reconcile them because of the way (Edison) helped in 2011 Election that saw Dr. Ojo return to the house through the DPP ticket. While they were there Dr. Ojo explained that he never at anytime petitioned the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA)Managing Director, Engineer GabrielAmuchi, which according to the people of Umutu, stopped FERMA from working on the Mission road; he concluded by telling Edison that the petition issue was a mere allegation, he also made disclosure.
Furthermore he also revealed how he made series of effort to revive the electricity problem in the communities affected in Ukwuani LGA, but was frustrated by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) who were not straight in the amount to be paid
However, according to Mr Cole, his response was that as the people’s representative, he should look for a way to sort out the problem of the lights and the bridge on mission road, for that is what the people want and not money given to an individual, and the discussion ended at that, he said, with another day to be fixed to continue with the reconciliation, but these never happened.
According to Edison, he felt that since the reconciliation did not work out again, and the people’s needs had not been addressed the best thing to do was to mobilise the people to demand that action be taken to resolve these problems of electricity and bridge, through good leadership on the 7 and 8 of February 2015.
Continuing, Mr Edison said at the end of the rally everything went well without incident, but it was surprising that there was a trump up charge that he mobilised the people of Umutu to destroy the bill boards of Dr Ojo, Dr Goodluck Jonathan and that of the PDP governorship candidate, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa and thugs were sent to attack him, and some other persons that were involved in the good leadership rally.
According to Mr Edison, the first trumped up seemed not enough, another accusation of beating up one of his aid, Monday Ibobo was brought up, and this resulted in their arrest to Umutu Police Station, but after investigation we were released on bail for lack of proof.
After this “I went to town to explain to people why I was arrested, and we agreed that Hon Ojo will get our maximum votes if he can fix the two problems facing the community, but instead of doing that he went to Asaba and moved the case from Umutu to Asaba, saying that the Umutu station was biased in handling the case”. He said.
Several efforts made to speak to Mr Monday Ibobo and His Principal, Hon Ojo was not achieved as there was no response from their cell phones at the time of going to press, however, it could be recalled that our January, 2015 Edition, the issue of the light was reported, it was discovered that Dr Ojo made efforts, with the former Ukwuani Transtion Chairman, Hon Ocho Ochor but the BEDC was not steady in their demands from the communities affected on the issue.
