The incoming governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo may launch a comprehensive probe into the eight-year tenure of his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki, from whom he would take overpower on Tuesday. The Pius Odubu-led 25-member committee recommended the probe when it submitted its report to the governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on Monday at the Viewpoint Hotel in the GRA, Benin City. Odubu, former deputy governor of the state, said the committee’s report was based on its findings following a careful examination and analyses of the official documents received from the outgoing Government’s Transition Team “after three weeks of rigorous assignments, meetings, interactions, engagements and analyses of the documents…” Recall that the APC had on October 14, 2024, set up a transition committee chaired by Odubu to work with that of the state government. The joint committee held its maiden meeting on October 18 with subsequent ones turning out to be rancorous. Recommending a scrutiny of the finances of the state under Obaseki, the committee urged the governor-elect to undertake a “critical review” of activities of the Procurement Agency which it noted, indicted the government in its own report to the Transition Committee. Disclosing that the outgoing government didn’t provide audited financial statements, published or unpublished, the committee advised Okpebholo to institute an enquiry into this. Apart from financial issues, the Committee also recommended the cancellation of recent recruitments into the civil service, a review of some of the former governor’s Memorandum of Understanding, (MoU) a proper headcount of teachers, review of major contracts undertaken by the Ministry of Roads and Bridges, as well as investigate the status and ownership of some investments. Giving an insight into the report, Odubu said, “We recommended a complete review of all MOUs on the management of the Central Hospital and Stella Obasanjo. We recommended that the local and foreign debts must be accounted for. “All employment carried out in recent past should be canceled. The Governor should investigate the true ownership of the Ossiomo power plant and Raddisson Blu Hotel. The same with Museum of West Africa Arts- MOWAA. “We deserve to know the state’s equity in these companies as the outgoing government went blank on these enquiries. We also demanded a comprehensive review of the World Bank-funded EdoBest programme and a probe should be instituted to uncover its rather opaque operations. “All major contracts issued by the state government under 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 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 headcount”. Odubu said it was pertinent “to note that Edo State has very rich opportunities and potentials to become one of the top ten states in Nigeria, if transparency, accountability and probity are carefully applied in the course of governance”. In his prelude to the report, the former deputy governor said, “Your Excellency, it will interest you to know that the report being presented to you this afternoon, derived from our collective inputs during the several sessions we had as a team. “We did not just carefully examine the five thematic pillars as presented by the government’s transition team, we took time to look at other information availed the committee through our interactions with relevant stakeholders in the state. “We had robust meetings with the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Security with a view to having firsthand information on the challenges and opportunities facing this important segment of our population in the course of deepening governance across the state. “Our perspectives, recommendations and suggestions are well captured in this report as a work in progress that could further be expanded for a more detailed and fact-finding effort to arrest the drift in the state”. Responding, Senator Okpebholo said the report would be useful to him, going forward.
