PDP Accuses Oshiomhole of Presenting N5bn Supplementary Budget Few Days to Handover

By Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor Adams Oshiomhole of plotting to spend about N5billion a few days to his exit from office on Saturday, saying the governor was set to send a supplementary budget to the state House of Assembly. 

But in a swift reaction, the Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), rhetorical asked why Chief Dan Orbih was always in the habit of drinking panadol for another man’s headache, adding that there was no way few days to the exit of a chief executive of a state, a supplementary budget would be presented and passed.

According to him, the PDP chairman is yet to come to terms with the loss he and his party suffered during the September 28, 2016 governorship election,  noting that the only way the party thought it can fight back was peddle unfounded rumour.

However,  the PDP has also raised the alarm that the state governor has been approving  payments of  money for bogus and fictitious contractor amounting to about N350 million.

The party at a media briefing in Benin yesterday and addressed by its chairman, Orbih, also dropped the hint that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given the party unhindered access to inspect voting materials used in the conduct of the September 28 Edo State governorship election as directed by the tribunal.

On the planned visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Edo State today, the PDP chairman asked Governor Oshiomhole to take Mr. President on a facility tour of his Iyamho country home, adding that Mr. President will be “commissioning a ward of an existing hospital, a private university built with state money and a resurfaced road.”

His words: “We have observed with displeasure the despicable financial actions of the governor. They range from the approval of highly inflated contracts without following procedure of payments and proposed presentation of a supplementary budget of N5billion that he wants to spend in less than eight days he has in office as governor.

“I am sure this additional request will be presented today or day after tomorrow. It is shocking that a governor who will soon leave office is asking for such a huge amount of money. This is not the time to plunge Edo to more indebtedness.”

On the suspension of the Onojie of Uromi, Orbih, who is the Esama of Uromi, he said: “Let me join Edo people to condemn the purported suspension of the Onogie of Uromi on his alleged support for the PDP’s candidate in the just concluded election. The action of the governor is provocative, vindictive and spiteful.

On the contract awards, Orbih displayed vouchers he said were obtained from the governor’s office, saying “vouchers are available, even the one showing the governor’s approval of the stipulated of N387 million for the preparation for the bill of quantity for ten sundry schools, whatever that means.”

He added that as Oshiomhole exits office, plots of land belonging to the state were being shared among loyalists of the governor, pointing that the “PDP government would redress all this when we rec