Edo state chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), retired Col David Imuse has described the annual Alaghodaro summit “which marks the anniversary of the PDP regime led by Governor Godwin Obaseki,” as a hollow ritual and a celebration of incompetence.
In a statement released by Victor Osehobo, the party’s Assistant State Publicity Secretary, Col Imuse said, “The All Progressives Congress in Edo State frowns at the hollow ritual called Alaghodaro Summit by the Edo State Government, and the false claims that it annually consolidates on years of building a vibrant private-sector-led economy, which has benefited from Mr Obaseki’s government reforms and programmes.”
Col Imuse said that the claims by the government that this year’s summit will showcase the various businesses and Made-in-Edo products, is even worrisome in a state where the policy since 2016 has been to destroy and demolish every trace of entrepreneurship.
The Edo APC Chairman also condemned the government’s registration of ‘Alaghodaro Company Limited by Guarantee (GTE)”, and said it is a grand ploy by Governor Obaseki to legitimize his annual ritual of wasting Edo tax payers monies by uniting his cronies and business allies under one business name, while bolstering the government’s efforts at sustaining Edo State as the most investment-unfriendly state in Nigeria.
“For us in the APC this evil ritual which is an open admission of Governor Obaseki’s failure as a governor, smacks of a tactic to whitewash a rudderless government whereas Edo people know fully well that the fractured PDP government which he heads has lost touch with reality and cannot be entrusted with continued governance of our state.
“This is all the more so because in six years, and true to his campaign promise, Governor Obaseki has succeeded in making Edo grounded again with his demolition of Edo state legacy assets like the Central Hospital, the Nigerian Observer while wasting billions of Naira on such white elephant projects like the Benin Enterprise and Industrial Park, the Benin Innovation Hub, Edo Tech Park, the Edo Refinery and Petrochemicals Company, the Gelegele Seaport, the University of Innovation, the Benin Technical College.”
“I expect Mr. Obaseki and the fractured PDP government he leads to halt the frivolous media campaigns, the social media orchestrations which are fallaciously crediting him with imaginary achievements and to call off the ridiculous summit as it has done the state more harm than good since its inception”.
