By Okhide Em’ya David
Opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) in Edo says it finds it ridiculous that each time a matter of vital and urgent public importance to the good people of Edo State is raised, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) “goes bananas” and starts chasing shadows instead of focusing on the very critical issue at stake.
“The issue this time around is very clear or let’s put it as a question: Is the Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki and his administration taking another N18-billion loan to mortgage the future of Edo state, so soon after taking N25-billion loan from the capital market?”
Assistant State Publicity Secretary Edo State APC, Mr Victor Ofure Osehobo, while reacting to a statement issued by the PDP in response to their inquiry into a fresh loan by the State Government, explained that it was not an attack but a very simple question which anyone could answer adding that since all questions have answers, whether good or bad, the wisest thing for the PDP to do in the circumstances would have been to speak to the issue.”
Ofure Osehobo notes that “Edo people want to know, what are the loans being collected for? Why is due process being sidelined in seeking and collecting the loans?
Why are Edo people being kept in the dark about loans that their unborn children will spend decades repaying?”
He says nevertheless, it is not a surprised that the PDP is very much in the dark about the Governor and his style of administration and as such is seriously handicapped with the facts to respond to matters of this nature. Their plight is pitiable.”
The Edo APC Assistant Publicity Secretary asked if PDP was not aware that there is nothing going on in terms of governance in Edo state since the Governor took the last N25-billion loan or the party wants to pretend that it is not aware of the high level of insecurity in the state, with the daily reports of kidnappings and daylight robberies.
Edo APC observed that there is no denying that Edo people are waiting to hear from Governor Obaseki and the PDP, the true position of things. “They should speak up”
It would be recalled that the Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party had called on the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and his hired gun, John Mayaki, to accept the serial defeat suffered in the hands of Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and stop their infantile and unwarranted attacks on the governor and his administration.
The State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chris Osa Nehikhare, in a statement, had said Oshiomhole’s latest swipe at the governor over an alleged N18bn loan request, delivered through Oshiomhole’s media hireling, Mayaki, demonstrated an acute obsession with propagation of falsehood, lies and alternative facts to curry public sympathy after a most humiliating defeat at the polls.
He said it was quite unfortunate that they were “compelled to once again attend to the rantings from the camp of the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who has grown fond of Edo State Government treasury and cannot fathom to bear the pain that he would never have access to the till, with which the governor has continued to pursue developmental projects for the progress and advancement of the state.”
“Oshiomhole has registered his frustration once again through the tirade of John Mayaki, who has admitted that his write-ups are fatally wrong and unable to pass credibility check” and that he allows his political interest and not his judgement as a professional journalist guide him!
“It is obvious that Mayaki is vigorously trying to rescue his obviously failing journalism career. Shame that his journalism has been reduced to only one story, which is the propagation of lies against the Governor. We forgave him before, doesn’t mean we will tolerate his lies.”
Nehikhare dismissed the claims of squandering resources of the State, stating that the Governor is not profligate like Oshiomhole.
He added that the lack of critical thinking in the camp of Oshiomhole was telling with the inconsistencies in the allegations, as it was claimed that the governor was taking the loan with the plan to pay back with the state’s 13 percent crude oil derivation credits, but in the same line of thought, the writer alleged that there was no clear repayment plan.
Nehikhare said: “The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, is not profligate like Oshiomhole and this much is evident from the governor’s leadership style as well as the manner in which he has managed the state’s resources to the admiration of local and foreign partners, who continue to commend the prudent, transparent and judicious allocation of resource in pursuit of sustainable development and economic advancement in the state.”
He noted that there was no denying that Edo people were tired of the lies and falsehoods propagated by Oshiomhole and his minions. It’s high time they embrace the Resetting Agenda of the Governor Obaseki and the PDP.
