Probes, tactics to cover Okpebholo’s incompetence — Obaseki’s aide

Crusoe Osagie, media aide to the immediate past governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has berated his principal’s probes by the present administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo.

Osagie noted that Okpebholo lacks the vision to further develop the state, and as such, is using “cheap political theatrics” to cover his “incompetence.”

In a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Sunday, the ex-governor’s media aide’s reaction came on the heels of the formation of a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to investigate Obaseki’s administration.

The committee, which will be inaugurated on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at the Government House in Benin City, will be chaired by Dr Ernest Umakhihe.

Anslem Ojezua will serve as deputy chairman, while Frank Edebor will act as secretary, among other members.

However, Osagie who claimed that his principal ran “one of the most transparent, accountable and prudent governments in the history of Nigeria,” urged the present administration to rather “focus on governance and improving the lives of Edo people.”

The statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to a laughable and utterly ridiculous statement by the Monday Okpebholo’s administration setting up a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to probe the administration of his predecessor, His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, who is globally acclaimed to have run one of the most transparent, accountable and prudent government’s in the history of Nigeria.

“This is another in the list of the barrage of meaningless probes which the governor and his directionless government have been embarking on since they got into Dennis Osadebey Avenue through the back door.

“From probing civil servants’ employment to probing Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), and probing vehicles and other assets of government, among others, the governor-select has continued to show that he is bereft of ideas and lacks a clear vision for the development of the state and has therefore resorted to these charades of empty probes to buy time and distract from his incompetence and unpreparedness for office.

“His plan is to treat Edo people like an undiscerning mob that you can distract with a show like the duel of gladiators in the Ancient Roman Colosseum. But Okpebholo will soon learn that he is the governor with the hardest job in Nigeria because the Edo people of Edo State are wise and can hardly be fooled. His diversionary probes may succeed in deceiving people in some States in Nigeria but certainly not those in Edo State.

“He should stop his futile and failed attempt to fool the people of Edo State who have already seen him for who he truly is: a politician out of his depth who has become a tool in the hands of his many godfathers who are thirsty for vendetta, having for long been denied access to the people’s patrimony by the immediate past government of His Excellency, Mr Godwin Obaseki.”

The statement added that the past administration “achieved an unprecedented level of transparency in governance, laying a solid foundation for fiscal discipline, which was why it was able to accomplish the numerous milestones recorded across various sectors of the state.”

Osagie stated that while Okpebholo came into power “through a stolen mandate,” the state Peoples Democratic Party would reclaim “its mandate duly given to it by Edo voters.”