Transition: Afegbua Gloats as Edo Speaker Shocks Obaseki Following Legislature’s Rejection of Request for Supplementary Budget

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Governor Obaseki’s letter seeking an approval for supplementary budget was submitted to the House on Monday for reason of leaving money for the incoming administration to take off.

Consequently, a member of the transition committee of the incoming All Progressives Congress, (APC) and former Information Commissioner in the state, Kassim Afegbua, has raised the alarm that the governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo would be inheriting an empty treasury.

In a press statement on Tuesday, titled ‘Empty Treasury Awaits Okpebholo as Obaseki Seeks Additional Budget Two Weeks to Handover’ Afegbua was miffed that “Despite plundering ₦1.5 trillion in the past seven years with no visible, legacy infrastructures on ground across Edo State, Governor Obaseki has again requested a supplementary budget with two weeks to hand over of power”.
He however expressed surprise that “like the riddle of the sudden turn of events, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Honourable Blessing Agbebaku, has turned down the request of Gov Obaseki even in his trying times”.

This, he said, has left many observers dumbfounded, giving a hindsight of what awaited the former “Iron Bender” when he leaves power.

Afegbua recalled that “Before now, Obaseki had presented three supplementary budgets to the House of Assembly, which were all promptly approved either in government house at wee hours, and mostly without the knowledge of other members.

“Shortly before the gubernatorial election of 21st September, the same House of Assembly gave express approval to a ₦450 billion supplementary request of the Governor despite criticisms of members of the public.

“In total, Gov Obaseki has spent a total of ₦1.5trn naira in his eight years as Governor with no improvements or developments of roads”.

Giving a damning assessment of the outgoing administration, Afegbua noted that “Till date, the three senatorial districts have been cut apart due to bad roads across the state, as it has become very difficult moving from one location to another.

“Motorists have resorted to recreating roads for themselves in bushes as all internal roads have gone bad too because of the pressure of heavy articulated trucks on the existing roads.

“Some have suggested that Governor Obaseki will surely have questions to answer on how so much public funds have been deployed to projects that are either linked to himself and his cronies or do not have direct impact on the state”.

Hinting that Obaseki would be probed, Afegbua said it was worrisome that “a Governor-elect who means well for Edo people will be inheriting an empty treasury with huge debts of over ₦500 billion hanging on our noose. How do you expect the state to grow?
“Edo State is bleeding profusely as a result of neglect, financial malfeasance, and careless abandon…. He is tipped for an EFCC interrogation as his tenure expires in two weeks. The level of profligacy is mind-boggling and alarming.

“Government officials have paraded e-graphics of projects that appear strange to residents of Edo State. It will amaze you to see digital highlights of communities such as Okpella, Uromi or Iguobazuwa in their graphic presentation, as if they were European cities, but on ground, Edo State has become eyesore and infrastructural atrophy.

“Graphic representation of Ekiosa (market) that got burnt five years ago in Benin City has become a subject of mockery. The graphic digital wrap-around pictures of Ekiosa are what has remained in the site of the market in Benin city since he made the promise to rebuild it in 2018”.

The former Director of Media of the APC Governorship Campaign Council during the September 21 election, said while Okpebholo’s incoming administration, “Edo people are, however excited that the state has been rescued from a democratic tyrant”.

According to Afegbua, though Edo people were aware that Okpebholo would inherit an empty treasury, “they are happy that he will represent a new dawn which was translated as ‘a new Edo is rising’ during the last campaigns across the state.

Reiterating the allegations of looting against officials of the outgoing government, Afegbua said “Agents of the governor have turned their frustration into looting spree as they have descended on vehicles, air-conditioners, generators, television sets and many others, which they are looting with careless abandon”.

He said while Edo State had been lucky in terms of allocations “but unlucky characters at the helms of affairs have stifled growth and development. The state received so much billions of naira from the 13% Derivation Funds, but there is nothing to justify such huge resources”.