By Seyi Odewale
Edo State Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo has constituted a 14-man Assets Verification Committee to investigate the administration of his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Fred Itua, yesterday in Benin said the committee would be inaugurated tomorrow.
Itua listed the committee members as Dr Ernest Umakhihe, chairman; Anslem Ojezua, Deputy Chairman; Frank Edebor, Secretary; and Prince Kassim Afegbua, Patrick Ikhariale, and Taiwo Akerele, members.
Others are Patrick Idiake, Rasaq Bello-Osagie, Fredrick Unopah, Mrs Abdallah Eugenia, Patrick Obahiagbon, Kenny Okojie, Mrs. Lyndsey Tes-Sorae, and Abass Braimoh.
According to the statement, the committee became imperative to set the State on the path of development and accountable leadership.
“Despite repeated calls for a more holistic database of the assets and liabilities of the previous administration, the Godwin Obaseki-led government came up with very scanty and limited assets and liabilities of the State.
“In line with the governor’s campaign promise to ensure probity, accountability, and transparency in government, and to deepen the governance process, a committee made up of respected persons is to look into the books,” the statement said.
However, Obaseki slammed the decision to probe him yesterday, saying it was a diversionary tactic to mask Okpebholo’s incompetence and unpreparedness for office.
Obaseki, while reacting to the setting up of the 14-member committee, spoke through his media aide, Crusoe Osagie, saying he ran the most transparent government in the State’s history.
He added that the barrage of empty probes by the governor was a smoke screen to mask incompetence and unpreparedness for office.
According to Osagie, Okpebholo was devoid of ideas and lacked a clear vision to drive development in the State, noting that the governor was resorting to cheap political theatrics, using a circus of meaningless probes to distract from his glaring incompetence and lack of direction.
“Our attention has been drawn to a laughable and utterly ridiculous statement by the Monday Okpebholo’s administration setting up a 14-member state Assets Verification Committee to probe the administration of his predecessor, His Excellency Godwin Obaseki, who is globally acclaimed to have run one of the most transparent, accountable and prudent government’s in the history of Nigeria.
“This is another in the list of the barrage of meaningless probes that the governor and his directionless government have been embarking on since they got into Dennis Osadebey Avenue through the back door. From probing civil servants’ employment to probing Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and probing vehicles and other assets of government, among others, the governor-select has continued to show that he is bereft of ideas and lacks a clear vision for the development of the State and has therefore resorted to these charades of empty probes to buy time and distract from his incompetence and unpreparedness for office,” the statement said.
