Edo Assembly issues ultimatum to former speaker to return official vehicles

A former deputy speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mrs Elizabeth Ativie, has been issued a 2-day ultimatum to return her official vehicles to the House or face legal action.

The Assembly in a letter signed by the clerk of the Assembly, Mr James Omoataman, alleged that the former deputy speaker was parading a fake letter to corroborate her claims that the official vehicles in contention were personal gifts to her by a former governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

In a letter addressed to counsel to the former deputy speaker, Olayiwola Afolabi & Co, the Assembly through the new speaker, Hon Kabiru Adjoto, declared that Ativie’s claim that one of the vehicles, a Prado Jeep, was given to her by the former governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was untrue as there was no evidence to such claim.

The letter stated that the leadership of the House had screened a letter Ativie claimed was signed by Oshiomhole to give out the vehicle to her and that the letter was fake.

The letter read in parts, “We have compared the signature of the esteem former governor on the said letter and it is not genuine and we hope your client is aware of the consequences of parading such document.

“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.”

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”.