The Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo and the immediate past governor of the State, Godwin Obaseki are currently locked in a battle over the alleged theft of over N96 billion Local Government funds allegedly misappropriated by the former governor, suspended local government chairmen and some PDP leaders in the State.
The governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua said the report by the committee that investigated the Local Government fund indicted Obaseki, the suspended local government chairmen and some leaders of the People Democratic Party ( PDP)
The governor vowed to personally take the files of the alleged fraud to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and to ensure that those indicted are prosecuted.
The statement quoted Okpebholo as saying, “Nigerians need to start demanding accountability from elected public office holders, it was the only way to fight corruption and ensure development.”
He said, “I want to thank you for a job well done. I carefully listened to the submission of the report. The truth is that the administration of former governor Godwin Obaseki took Edo people for granted. They took everything belonging to the Edo people and channelled it for their personal gains.
“We thank God for helping us to change the narrative to benefit the Edo people. We also thank the President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, because, without his support, we would not be witnessing the kind of development we are experiencing in Edo today.
“A lot has happened. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) looted the treasury of the Local Governments and stole our collective patrimony, and nobody went after them or took action. This time, things are different. We will go after them and retrieve what they have stolen from the Edo people.
“They will be made to pay for it. I will personally take this document to the EFCC and ensure that justice is done for this wrong done to Edo people.” The Governor said.
Reacting, the former governor through the former Special Adviser on Media Project, Crusoe Osagie said governor Okpebholo’s allegation was a desperate move to justify his onslaught on duly elected council executives.
Osagie said, “What is most shocking about the statement is that Governor 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.
“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.
“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.
“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 cons
