Fibs, distortions, concoctions, contradictions, pretensions and lies in cold blood have become the pre-occupation of the beleaguered, factionalized and dithering opposition PDP in Edo state, as it struggles very poorly to remain afloat through its turncoat spokespersons. When they present their so-called viewpoints from their diabolic souls, one would almost wonder at their duplicitous canard. From their initial claim of trying to ethnicize the discourse, to a new found love of prioritizing their “obubuyaya-master” Godwin Obaseki as the chief proprietor of their infantile school of economics and finance, they are yet struggling to clutch at any flotsam to stem their sinking fate. Together they strangled Edo State as they siphoned away the wealth from its people. Facts are sacred, they cannot be contradicted; and no amount of scapegoating and blackmail can fault the facts we have established concerning MOWAA and the RADISSON Hotel in Benin City. These two projects reek of the same pattern of profligacy, fraud, malfeasance, predatory and dubious control by a government that was in wholesale acquisitive, draconian, dictatorial, and prebendal mode in its transactions, for eight unbroken years.
Like a gang of sinuous fawns, their latest onslaught against the Okpebholo-led government is at best discursive, beyond that, its effect is zilch. They are trying in failure to whip up petty sentiments amongst the Edo collective, unknown to them that Edo people are more savvy than they think. To the best of our knowledge, and from the evidence before us, the Godwin Obaseki-led government behaved like famished baboons let loose on a banana plantation, where they devoured everything at sight, to satisfy their ravenous appetite. The Radisson Hotel project is yet another prey that they pounced on. If Godwin Obaseki had any modicum of scruples, in his claim to be aiming at developing Edo state, he should have engaged in less transactions. Everything was dark; no transparency, no probity, and no accountability. Within the nexus of these three very important virtues in governance is where honourable leaders are found; Godwin Obaseki is very far from being called a man of honor. Escaping through the backdoors and now trying to use his fugitive status to whip up sentiments while he sits in foreign beer parlours and palmwine joints, cannot dissuade us from demanding explanations about his opaque financial transactions. The current government needs an understanding for planning purposes, and the Edo people also, are very interested in the details, for the enrichment of history. We are talking about Edo taxpayers money, Edo’s collective patrimony and destiny.
We may not possess the uncanny ingenuity of financial mastery and wizardry of a smart alec, but we do know fraud as different from error when we see the fact. In the case of Radisson Hotel, the evidence of financial malfeasance during the Obaseki regime are stark. He took N25b naira from the stock market, in the name of the Edo State Government, invested same in a legacy project, and midstream, invited a brand new investor to purchase the project, and then ceded only 20% equity to the state that had expended N25b on the project. Till date, no record of this investor ploughing money into the project to warrant his 80% equity ab initio. The N25b sourced from the Stock Market is still being paid through an Irrevocable Standing Payment Order of N385m monthly by Edo state Government. Yet, your so-called investor, registered a brand new company in May 2024, with no antecedents to support afore involvement or success in the hospitality business or any other. They did not go through any competitive bidding to acquire a whooping 80% of that hotel pronto. Hmm, what manner of financial wizardry is that?. This is only possible in Godwin Obaseki’s school of economics and public finance. And we have elected never to enroll in such dubious college of fraud.
The Radisson Hotel remains that of the Edo state government. Every kobo of Edo taxpayers money spent and invested in the project would be accounted for. You cannot use Edo state government as a collateral entity to source N25b naira from the stock market, and invest the money for the benefit of your friends and cronies. The state government has no hand in Ossiomo Power Plant, but the Chinese Partners and Owners who were allegedly being shortchanged by the company only demanded for their Return on Investment. What we did was to remove our consumption from Ossiomo power plant by installing a more user-friendly solar power plant in government house, and through BEDC services. In an era of competition, users go for what is more utility-driven to them to cut cost in public finance. If that is what angers PDP business buccaneers, well, tough sausage! Governor Okpebholo’s mandate given to him by the Edo people is to use Edo money to build Edo State. The era of mindless plundering of our resources to build private enterprise is gone with Godwin Obaseki. Once the investigations are concluded, the state government will formally submit a petition to the EFCC to bring Godwin Obaseki to book. No amount of hate-mongering, propaganda and noise making will distract our Governor from his resolve to right the wrongs of the previous administration.
The difference in governance styles is glaringly clear! Governor Monday Okpebholo is a man of achievements. In just one year, he has turned Edo state to a construction site, doing uncommon projects and deepening the conversation of eye-mark project execution, and not MoUs. In the heart of Benin City alone, he has built more schools in one year than the total number that Godwin Obaseki built in eight years under his fraudulent EdoBest program. He bungled the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and Edo State University, Uzairue, leaving them asphyxiated without funding. Today, Governor Okpebholo has revived them with deliberate financial interventions.
The point must be made very eloquently that the Okpebholo-led government is set to correct all the injustices and financial misadventure and happenstances of the Godwin Obaseki’s administration. No amount of blackmail, name-calling and hate-mongering can stop that resolve to healing the wounds in the land. He is more interested in doing the needful to make our people happy, rather than pandering, to please Godwin Obaseki and his cronies. Godwin Obaseki should return home and face the investigative panel if he has nothing to hide.
Seeking refuge under the courts will not help his case. The Courts are desirous of accountability and transparency. The Courts also desire good governance that will enrich our people and make their life better. Those who are guiltless should not be afraid of probe and investigation. We may not possess the financial wizardry of hiding figures, but we know the devil in the details when we see them.
E-Signed:
Prince Kassim Afegbua
(Honourable Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Edo state.)
Saturday, 13th December, 2025.
◦
