Ex-Speaker Okiye Commends Okpebholo's Meticulous Style, Lauds EDoGIS Boss For Due Diligence in Land Transactions

      Okpebholo with Okiye (right) with others during a visit in Government House... recently 

Hendrix Oliomogbe 

The executive chairman of Edo State Lottery Regulatory Commission and former Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Frank Okiye has defended the leadership style of Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo.

Hon. Okiye, who spoke during a visit to the managing director of Edo State Geographic Information Service (EdoGIS), Dr. Innocent Bello in his office in Benin City said that the slow but very meticulous style of Governor Okpebholo is the best approach to governance.

Having been with the governor recently, the Edo State Lottery Regulatory Commission chairman said that he (Okpebholo) remains focused despite what he insisted as "undue noise from critics."

He said: "Contrary to criticisms by his opponents, the governor is not slow but very meticulous. The governor likes taking his time to do anything he sets out to do. He is very meticulous. I was with him recently and watched him very closely. I can confidently say that Governor Okpebholo remains focused despite noise from critics. His approach is the best for the state."

While commending the reforms undertaken by Dr. Bello in EDoGIS, Hon. Okiye said the innovations and due diligence now applied to land and property transactions.

He described the EDoGIS boss as one of the governor’s key lieutenants, whose commitment to the government’s ideals is needed to deliver the administration’s projects, and urged him to carry on regardless of criticism.

Hon. Okiye said the people were happy, particularly about the land reforms, and expressed confidence that by the end of the governor’s first four years, Edo people would know that “a true messiah was indeed elected.”

The managing director said the reforms under way in land administration are a direct expression of the SHINE agenda of Governor Okpebholo, whose government, he said, is determined to protect the rights of Edo people and restore their trust in governance. 

Dr. Bello said the Okpebholo administration inherited a land system compromised by forged documents, fake tax clearance certificates, irregular signatures and the sale of single plots to multiple buyers.

According to him, more than half of the applications reviewed had such problems, which he blamed on racketeering, especially in the southern part of the state capital, and which he described as “land kidnapping.”

He said that, unlike before, such practices will not go unchallenged under Governor Okpebholo, who directed him to carry out due diligence and scrutinise every application. 

Between April and July, he said, C of Os printed with errors were shredded and regularised, and scanned QR codes that returned other people’s names exposed forgeries that had cost the state substantial revenue.

Dr. Bello said land use charge revenue has risen as a result, with the proceeds now going to the state treasury where they belong.