Transition Committee: We Did Not Stay Away From Sitting, Says Ikhariale
By Simeon OSAJIE
The Edo State Joint Transition Committee meeting failed to hold today as members of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) were absent from the John Odigie-Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA) venue of the meeting.
Speaking with newsmen in Benin City, Secretary of APC Transition Committee, Hon. Patrick Akhariale debunked the rumour and stated that APC is fully ready to participate in the Joint Transition Committee.
Akhariale said that both parties have agreed to meet when the required information or documents are giving to them.
According to Akhariale, the issues is that the APC Transition Committee members had series of discussions with the Transition Committee on the side of the outgoing government.
“Unfortunately, the nature of documents that they have supplied us does not address any of the issues that we wanted them to address, and we have had interface both verbal and written with the relevant officers of government including the Secretary to State Government (SSG), Mr. Joseph Eboigbe and we reached an agreement as at yesterday 21st October, 2024 that they are going to do exactly what we asked for, because what they had supplied us at best has not addressed the issue substantially in any form and we have expected by this morning that that will be done.”
Going further, the former member, Federal House of Representatives said, “We discussed this morning with SSG. Mr. Eboigbe called me, and we spoke on phone. When I saw his message that the meeting is ongoing today, I said no; we had earlier all agreed that the documents so far supplied to us none of the issues we raised have been addressed.
“We also had a meaningful and strong discussion. We need certain documents that would addressed the issues we have raised, and that is where we are, and we have agreed that today he was going to discuss with His Excellency the Governor and get back to us.
“And in any case, the information or documents were asking for is in line with global best practices; it is not novel, we are not asking for anything out of the ordinary. So it is on record that we have done the needful.
“As you speak, a letter is being sent to them and we do hope that what we have discussed and agreed on as at yesterday (21st October) would be executed for us to progress and have the joint meetings we are supposed to have and that is the position.
“There’s nothing like staying away from the Joint Tradition Committee meeting. I’m sure if you see the SSG he will also confirm our position.
“We are waiting for him to reach out to the governor like he said to know the next line of action to take, as to how and when they are giving us information. And we have also, as a committee said whatever document or information they want to give to us, give it to us at least within 24 hours before the meeting time to enable us look through it, peruse and have a firm position to discuss so that we don’t go there and be discussing in abstract or discussing things that are not relevant to the subject matter of the day. So these I believe we have agreed on both sides.
“Hopefully, if today, tomorrow we get what we required from them, we will reconvene and do the needful.”
