The
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State yesterday reacted to the
state government’s moves to recover $31million, among others, from a
former governor of the state and his associates.
The opposition party in its reaction accused the All Progressives
Congress-led state government of squandering over N1trillion allegedly
received from the federation account from 2008 till date on perceived
overpriced legacy projects.
The party also described the moves to recover the $31 million
allegedly fraudulently taken from the state’s coffers as political
desperation and persecution.
Speaking through its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Chris Nehikhare, at a
press briefing in Benin City, the Edo PDP said it was shameful and
disgraceful that “it took the Oshiomhole administration seven years to
wake up from its slumber to begin what is clearly a case of political
witch hunting”.
It alleged that instead of confronting the challenges facing Edo
State in the form of dilapidated roads, flood and others, Governor
Oshiomhole was plotting how to perpetuate himself in office by
installing his lackey as successor.
Nehikhare drew the attention of Edo people to what he described as a
parlous state of roads in the state capital, listing some of the roads
as Evbotubu Market road, Ugbiyoko Road, Upper Sakponba Road, St Saviour
Road, Boundary Road, Ihama Road, Nekpenekpen Road, Upper Adesuwa Road,
Ibiwe Street and Uwa Street.
But in a swift response, Special Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole
on Media Affairs, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said: “Tell those PDP hawks to
go and borrow their own money too, if it is that easy to extract loan
commitment from the World Bank. If they have nothing to say, can you
tell them to simply keep quiet instead of exposing their crass ignorance
about governance. Or do they think World Bank is a village shrine where
the more you pour libation, the more empty assurances you get? Let us
get serious for once please”.
On the alleged receipt of over N1 trillion since its assumption of
office in 2008, Afegbua said, “It is the same tradition of emptiness
that keeps rearing its ugly head. Can you ask them to point at
kilometers of roads they undertook when they presided over the state for
10 years?
“At least, Edo people can see for themselves what we have been able
to do with allocations from the Federation Account. Even though it is
nothing near half a trillion, let alone a trillion naira. We have been
able to impact heavily on the state of our roads. We constructed new
ones and rehabilitated a lot of existing ones. Because they are a bunch
of shameless politicians, they feel the only way to be heard is to
effuse such incoherent monologues as the immoral badge of courage. What a
pity. We are still suffering from the regime of colossal and abysmal
leadership failure of the PDP till date. We will not be distracted from
doing the needful for the good people of Edo State”.
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