BENIN CITY, EDO – Crusoe Osagie, Media Adviser to His Excellency, former Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has accused the Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration of desperation and obsession to gain control of local government funds.
Reacting to a statement by Chief Press Secretary to Monday Okpebholo indicting former Governor Obaseki, PDP leaders and the elected 18 local council chairmen of N96 billion fraud, Osagie noted that the fraud allegation is another desperate effort to justify Okpebholo’s unconstitutional onslaught on duly elected council chairmen.
Osagie noted, “We have read with disdain a statement by Monday Okpebholo alleging that the elected 18 local government chairmen in Edo State mismanaged N96 billion, in another of Okpebholo’s frantic efforts to justify his unconstitutional onslaught on the elected leadership of the third tier of government.
“What is most shocking about the statement is that Okpebholo appears to be completely oblivious of the fact that he does not have supervisory responsibility over the local governments and can therefore not set up any investigation of government officials that are elected into office just like him.”
The Obaseki media Adviser said the 18 local council chairmen suspended by Okpebholo had more claim to their office than the governor, noting, “As a matter of fact, these local government chairmen have a better claim to their democratic office than he, whose election stands on a knife edge, with the election petition tribunal preparing to deliver justice in the September 21, 2024 election, widely believed to have been rigged.”
Osagie accused Governor Okpebholo of advertising his ignorance, adding, “Also advertising Okpebholo’s ignorance is his attempt, as usual, to drag His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki into his propaganda.
“Okpebholo should kindly note that Obaseki was never obsessed with control of local government funds during his tenure, as Okpebholo has shown himself to be in the last three months.”
“We are forced to, by this statement, inform Okpebholo that there are limits to his powers as governor, and if he believes there are financial infractions in a separate tier of government from his own, he should simply inform the relevant agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to carry out their constitutional responsibilities.
Okpebholo needs to be reminded that he is neither the Inspector General of Police nor the Chairman of the EFCC,” Osagie added.
He urged Edo people and Nigerians to ignore the propaganda by the APC, noting, “We urge all Edo people and Nigerians to ignore the lies and falsehood propagated by Okpebholo in his statement and to rest assured that His Excellency Godwin Obaseki, who is clearly the target of Okpebholo’s witch hunt ran the most transparent government in the history of Edo State and had no authority over local government funds at any time during his 8 years in office.”