New Dawn as Okpebholo Takes Office as Edo Gov

Today, November 12, 2024 marks the end of the eight-year tenure of Mr. Godwin Obaseki as Governor of Edo State and the beginning of the era of his successor, Senator Monday Okpebholo. Adibe Emenyonu in this report, highlights some of the activities and controversies that preceded the change of baton.

William Shakespeare in his work, ‘As You Like It’, said “All the world’s a stage, all the men and women are merely players; they have their exits and their entrance.”

Eight years ago, Godwin Obaseki was sworn- in as the Fifth Governor of Edo state when Adams Oshiomohle, now Senator handed over the reins of governance to him. Being the Economic Team Chairman of Oshiomohle government from 2008 to 2016, he did not find it too difficult as his kernel was already cracked by the benevolent Oshiomohle.

But it was not long after assuming office that he began to have problems with party leaders over his style of governance occasioned with his tight fist nature and uncompromising attitude. Nevertheless, the man branded ‘Ematon’ Benin word for strong, trudged on and secured re-election after abandoning the All Progressives Congress (APC) on whose platform he assumed governance to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he was able to secure a second term ticket that made it possible for him to govern for eight years.

In PDP, the same hard-line posture of Obaseki reared it’s head and many of the party leaders left him to form an alliance with the opposition party, the APC which eventually won the governorship election at the expense of the candidate the outgoing governor supported, Dr. Asue Igholdalo.

Throughout the crisis period, Obaseki nonetheless made very remarkable achievements in the area of physical infrastructure, workers welfare but less of road construction and repairs. He was able to attract many industries into Edo State which includes two modular refineries namely; AIPCC Energy Limited, owners of Edo Refinery; Dupot Refinery; as well as agricultural firms to mention but a few.

This is in addition to a private power generation company, OSSIOMO Power which made Edo the first state to generate electricity outside the national power grid which has been subjected to frequent collapse.

He also grew the state IRS scaling the IGR by 370% in eight years to a figure of more than N4 billion monthly and an average of N62 billion annually.

His other achievements include the remodeling of the Government secretariat to a conducive atmosphere in order to optimise workers productivity, the building of a modern Civil Service Academy named after former governor of the state, Chief John Odigie Oyegun otherwise known as JOOPSA.

However, with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended), which stipulates a maximum of two terms of four years, there must be a terminal date. That tenure is coming to an end on November 12, 2024 to pave way for a new sheriff at the mantle of leadership.

Obaseki last Friday, held a valedictory session at the Government House, Benin city when he dissolved his cabinet made up of Commissioners and Special Advisers.

At the valedictory session, the governor commended members of the State Executive Council for helping him in his vision of making Edo great again, delivering on all promises made to the people.

He also commended the people of the state for supporting, praying and collaborating with his administration, which led to the successes and achievements recorded by the government across various sectors of the state over the last eight years.

Members of Obaseki’s cabinet, took turns to eulogise the governor, acknowledged his many achievements in area of education, economy, agriculture, power, infrastructure, among others.

The outgoing Commissioners and Heads of Ministries Departments and Agencies, (MDAs), also took turns to present awards and gifts to honour the governor for his sterling leadership in the last few years.

The valedictory session for the outgoing state executive council climaxed with a dinner in honour of the State Governor.

The session was marked by heartfelt speeches, standing ovations, and commendations from council members, all reflecting on the government’s achievements and journey of public service over the last eight years, which has translated to improved livelihoods for the people, placing the state on the path of economic prosperity and progress.

Controversy

Also at the valedictory session, Obaseki  registered his frustration of not being carried along by the incoming governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, who he insisted is coming on a stolen mandate of shutting him out in the inauguration plan for the handover.

According to Obaseki, “They stole the mandate, but we have laws. Somebody has to be sworn-in into a government that is already existing. You don’t just come from nowhere and start government. There is a way things are done. Isn’t it?

“Government of Edo State is inaugurating a new governor on Tuesday but what you are seeing now, all the posters, the Government of Edo State is not involved. It’s crazy when people behave the way they are doing as if there are no laws in the country. I just sit down sometimes and I am wondering, are we okay as a country? We are guided by the Constitution. We are guided by laws, precedence and procedures.

“They are doing inauguration and I as a governor does not know. I have not even been invited. So, it is as if they are starting a brand new state,” Obaseki said in fury over the plans for the inauguration of Okpebholo, just as he alleged that the incoming governor has borrowed N5 billion for his inauguration.

Reacting to Obaseki’s allegation, a member of the APC Transition Committee member, Prince Kassim Afegbua in a statement tagged: “Obaseki and His Lamentations”, denied the borrowing of N5 billion by Okpebholo for his inauguration.

He said, “Suddenly, Godwin Obaseki, realizes  the ephemerality of power and now resorts to lamentations about an ongoing inauguration without extending an invitation to him. We found this to be generously laughable and self indicting.”

According to Afegbua, in other climes, an outgoing governor or president organises the inauguration of the incoming, adding that because of the painful loss of the PDP at the election, Obaseki and his co-travellers are doing everything possible to frustrate the inauguration of the incoming governor.

He said rather than sit down to plan the inauguration event as it is done in other places, Obaseki is busy planting landmines on the path to smooth transfer of power, noting that from the transition committee to the inauguration committee, despite all the cooperation extended to Obaseki team, “what we have received in return is frustration and deliberate plot to overburden the new administration with all manner of misplaced government decisions.

“We totally frown at these dubious plots which are clear negations of the standard procedures of power transfer the world over”, Afegbua stated.

He, however, said “Our inauguration team met with the SSG, who later handed our team over to another Permanent Secretary. The said Permanent Secretary had nothing on her table. She asked that our team should present an inauguration budget, and we declined because we wouldn’t want them to accuse us of spending bogus funds for inauguration. When we reported to the governor-elect, he opted out of such an arrangement and took over the responsibility of funding the inauguration from his own personal resources. He has also cut down on the activities to make the entire ceremony a bit moderate. He doesn’t believe in an ostentatious display of resources when a lot of Edo people have been impoverished by Governor Obaseki. He’s of the view that inauguration shouldn’t be an elaborate event.”

Debunking the issue of borrowing N5 billion Afegbua disclosed that no kobo was borrowed anywhere, saying that the governor-elect is not like the outgoing and his self profligate because Okpebholo is conscious of his responsibilities to make life better for the average Edo person.

Novelty Football Match

The inauguration plan was followed by a novelty cum victory football match on Sunday, played in honour of Okpebholo by some selected celebrities. Among the celebrities on the field of play were ex-Super Eagles and Bendel Insurance of Benin stars comprising Mutiu Adepoju, Augustine Eguavoen(Super Eagles gaffer), Bright Omokaro(10/10), Samson Ozogula(Zion Train), Felix Owolabi, Baldwin Bazuaye, Peter Obanor, Tony Emedofu and Ambrose Vanzekin, among others.

The match, which was played at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin, kicked off by 4:00pm with the governor elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo and his deputy, Dennis Idahosa in attendance as they played host to a horde of political heavyweights from across the country.

According to the spokesman for the organisers and former Edo State Football Association Chairman, Hon.Frank Ilaboya, the two opposing teams that evening was Akpakomiza and friends slugging it out with ex-international soccer stars.

Transition Committee

Furthermore, the APC Transition Committee, had on Monday called for probe into the finances of the state by the incoming administration, adding that the outgoing administration led by Mr. Godwin Obaseki didn’t provide neither published nor unpublished audited financial statements of the state.

The Transition committee also asked the new administration to carry out a complete review of all Memoranda of Understandings (MOUs) on the management of the Central Hospital and Stella Obasanjo hospital in Benin city by the outgoing government. The 25-member committee headed by former deputy governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, further recommended that all the local and foreign debts incurred under Obaseki must be accounted for, pointing out that even the procurement agency in its report to the transition committee, indicted the government.

Recall that on the 14th October, 2024, the APC had set up a Transition Committee to interface with the outgoing government for a seamless transition.

After three weeks of assignments, meetings, interactions, engagements and analyses of the documents presented to the committee, according to Odubu, it came out with the following recommendation viz:

That all employment carried out in recent past by the outgoing administration be cancelled.

The committee also urged the incoming governor, Senator Okpebholo to investigate the true ownership of the Ossiomo Power Plant and Raddisson Blu Hotel as well as the Museum of West Africa Arts – MOWAA with a view to know the state’s equity in these companies as the outgoing government was not forthcoming on the firms’ ownership.

It further demanded that the new administration should carry out a comprehensive review of the World Bank funded EdoBest programme, adding that a probe be instituted to uncover its rather ‘opaque’ operations.

“All major contracts issued by the state government under the Ministry of Roads and Bridges should be reviewed as they appear not to have followed due process including the payment advance awarded to the contractors.

“The procurement agency indicted the government in its own report to the Transition Committee hence we have advised the new Governor to take a critical review.

“The ICT ecosystem should be streamlined as there appears to be duplication of duties.

“The outgoing government didn’t provide audited financial statements published or unpublished hence the committee is advising the government to institute an enquiry into this.

“The government couldn’t account for the number of teachers in the state hence we demand a proper teacher head count”, the transition committee declared.

Receiving the report, the governor-elect, Senator Okpebholo, said: “I am going to find this information useful”, and promised to look into the report.