Oshiomole Challenges Governor Obaseki On Edo Debt Profile

By Ayodele Oni

A former Edo State Governor and Edo North Senatorial Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming election,  Adams Oshiomhole has accused Governor Godwin Obaseki of putting the state into more indebtedness.

Oshiomole disclosed that Obaseki has more explanations to offer the citizens concerning the current state of indebtedness of Edo state in the face of federal allocation and sundry funds received in recent time.

Oshiomhole who said this in Benin at the flag off of Edo south Senatorial campaign as well as presentation of flags to the party’s candidates for the 2023 general election added that “the funds and resources that came into the state in recent time is sufficient for any responsible government to govern and provide necessary and basic amenities to it’s citizens.

“Although the past belong to the past while the future should be planned for. I make bold to say that  I didn’t leave any debt for my successor, Governor Godwin Obaseki, as the only local loan we took while in office as the chief executive officer of Edo State was the N25 billion bond which has been paid”.

“Talking about the debt, I need to use this occasion to clear certain things, I have decided that what I owe Edo people was to join forces to secure tomorrow and not to cry over yesterday because we can’t bring it back but facts must be explained.

“When  I assumed office as governor of the state, the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) was N250million each month but after a month in office, the IGR went up to N2.1billion.

“When we had a World Bank budget support of $221 million and they paid two tranches of $75 million when Naira was N165 to a dollar, the third tranche of $75 million was paid to my successor, and I am not going to mention anybody’s name but it was paid to my successor.

“I did the Benin-Lagos roads and several federal roads with these money but the good thing was that, after I left office, the money I used to construct these roads N18 billion was refunded to my successors.”

Oshiomhole then challenged the state government to  publish in national newspapers what was the level of domestic debt when he left office on November 12, 2016 and the current level of domestic debt.

“When they are talking that I left Edo in debt, tell them to publish in national newspapers what was the level of domestic debt when I left office on November 12, 2016 and what is the level of domestic debt now. Let them tell  the people if they didn’t receive $75 million of the World Bank Budget Support when I left office and what they did with the money.

“If they continue to lie against me, I will publish the N10 billion President Muhammadu Buhari gave to all the states after I left office and another N10 billion to pay pension as well as the Paris refund.”

Edo State chairman of the APC, Col David Imuse (rtd)  said the people of Edo state will vote for the APC as against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because of the leadership style of Governor Godwin Obaseki which he said has denied the masses of the state access to basic amenities in the guise of being a technocrat.