…PDP’s claim absolute false – Edo Govt
The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), today, assessed the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo in the past three months, saying that the sufferings that Edo people have had to undergo have been across all sectors, multidimensional, and in many cases, avoidable.
The Chairman of the party’s Caretaker Committee, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, in an address titled “Edo PDP-State-of-the-State Address”, said the State has experienced alarming retrogression in the past three months under the Okpebholo administration, with setbacks across multiple sectors.
“From education where Edo has taken a notorious back seat, ranking least on the list of States with top priority and budgetary allocations for the sector to the health sector, where even the most basic medical consumables are unavailable, to security, economy infrastructure, power, and technology, among others.
“These setbacks are even more disheartening given the unprecedented progress the State witnessed over the last eight years under the immediate past government of His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.
“Having a leader with no depth, no vision, and no clear plan, one who has effectively put the State in reverse gear, is most unfortunate and deeply disappointing and we express our sympathy to the people of Edo State, who have had to endure the harsh realities of the clueless governance, economic stagnation, chaos, and regression under the Okpebholo administration”.
On security, Dr. Aziegbemi noted
the primary responsibility of any government is the protection of lives and property of citizens, adding that “and in this regard, we can categorically say that the Okpebolo government has failed woefully”.
He said in the past two weeks, at least 35 innocent Edo citizens have been brutally killed by militant groups and killer herdsmen while several others have sustained various degrees of injuries, and properties worth millions of naira destroyed.
Dr. Aziegbemi further alleged that the people of Edo State are under siege, saying that “From Edo South to Edo Central to Edo North, killings and violent attacks have become rampant. The State, which was repositioned as one of Nigeria’s safest places to live and do business during the Godwin Obaseki-led administration has now become so unsafe, gaining a notorious reputation as the capital of kidnapping and violent crimes, as kidnappers and other criminals now see it as a safe haven, the weakest link in the country’s security framework. Meanwhile, the supposed Chief Security Officer of the State stands dazed, overwhelmed, clueless, and utterly incapable of managing the worsening insecurity that has continued to claim the lives of innocent citizens almost daily”.
He accused Governor Okpebholo of making Edo the country’s new gangland
by empowering thugs and non-state actors to intimidate and harass his own people while demanding unlawful levies under the veiled protection of the Okpebholo administration.
He said the activities of the non state actors who have been employed by the governor as reward for their role in the electoral heist that brought him into office, has led to the drastic fall in the State’s internally generated revenue.
“In October 2024, during the final days of the Obaseki government, Edo’s monthly IGR stood at approximately N8 billion. Today, under Okpebholo, the state is struggling with barely N3 billion monthly.
“In the last one month alone, Edo State lost N1.3 billion in revenue. According to the recently released IGR report for February, revenue plummeted from N4.7 billion in January to N3.4 billion in February.
“The level of financial leakage has been massive. These non-state agents, backed by certain political forces, are collecting government revenues and redirecting payments into private bank accounts instead of the state treasury. This leak is largely responsible for why for the third consecutive month, Okpebholo has failed to redeem his N500m monthly subvention pledge to the State-owned varsity, Ambrose Alli University (AAU) and meet other obligations. Under Okpebholo’s administration, Edo State has seen nothing but retrogression and gross mismanagement”, Dr. Aziegbemi stated.
He further accused Governor Okpebholo of annihilating Local Governments in the State and seizing their allocations thereby hindering the due payment of salaries for local government staff, including primary school teachers, pensioners, and primary healthcare officers across the state.
The PDP Chairman also alleged massive corruption under the Okpebholo’s administration, saying that
“We are also aware that in his first week in office, Okpebholo allegedly lavished over N5bn from the State’s coffers to acquire a new fleet of ultra-modern armoured SUVs, while gifting the new armoured SUVs which were procured for his government by Obaseki.
“This is in addition to the ₦9.6 billion expended on the procurement of 60 new Toyota Prado SUVs for government officials and politicians in the State at the cost of N160 million each. Hence, the government in less than three months, spent over N20bn to acquire luxury vehicles for politicians while economic hardship bites. We also uncovered that Okpebholo recently withdrew N2.5 billion from the State’s treasury for personal use, under the pretense of paying compensation for land acquired along Sapele Road by the Edo State Government for overriding public interest during the previous administration”.
Responding to the allegations, the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Hon Paul Ohonbamu, described them as absolute false.
Specifically, he said the state government commenced payment of N500 million monthly subvention to Ambrose Alli University (AAU) from November when it made the announcement, just as he debunked the PDP claim of Governor Okpebholo paying Commissioners one million naira at every Executive Council meeting.
On alleged declining Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Hon. Ohonbamu stated that rather than declining, it has been increasing under the Okpebholo administration.
“In January, the Internally Generated Revenue rose to N10.4 billion and it is increasing. Under Obaseki, the highest they got was N7.8”, he said.
The Commissioner also debunked claim of worsening insecurity in the state, saying that when Okpebholo came, killings were rampant but he ended the bloodshed by amending the anti Cultism Law and making it more stringent, just as the Government has commenced demolition of houses of persons linked with kidnapping in the state.
He alleged that once the PDP lost the last governorship election, officials of the Obaseki government vandalised the Control and Command Centre in Government House, carting away Cameras and vehicles meant for the operation of the centre.
“Under Obaseki, members of the Edo Security Network were not being paid salaries. They only gave them guns which some of them used to perpetrate crimes as most of them were cultists.
“The Okpebholo administration mopped up over 5000 guns and has re-organised the Security Corps as well as provided over 60 vehicles and hundreds of motor bikes for security agencies in the State to fight crimes”. Ohonbamu said.
He described the PDP press conference as vexatious and antithetical to good conscience, saying “it is organized to keep the remnants of the PDP. PDP is like a match box without matches”.
SUN NEWS
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