Okpebholo Using Phantom N96bn Fraud Narrative to Divert Public Attention, Says Obaseki Aide

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

Former Special Adviser to immediate past Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, Crusoe Osagie, has thumbed down the 100 days of  the state Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo in office,  describing them as empty and lacking in depth.

Osagie  added  that Okpebholo is therefore,  using the phantom N96 billion local government funds fraud  to divert public attention from  his lack lustre administration.

The Chief Press Secretary to Okpebholo, Fred Itua,  had in a statement titled: Re: N96bn LG Fraud, Nazi Obaseki and Fellow Treasury Looters Have Murdered Sleep in Edo State, said the decision to set up the Investigative Panel which indicted Obaseki, impeached local council chairmen and some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders was not arbitrary; necessitated by growing concerns over financial mismanagement across the 18 local government councils. 

He added that the alarming lack of visible developmental projects, despite substantial allocations, raised critical questions that demanded answers. 

“It was in response to these concerns that the government, committed to transparency and accountability, constituted the panel to conduct a thorough investigation into the financial activities of the councils.

“With a mandate to examine revenue inflows, expenditure patterns, and the overall financial integrity of the councils, the panel embarked on a meticulous process, employing forensic analysis, document reviews, and interviews with key stakeholders” the statement added.

However,  responding,  Osagie said Governor Okpebholo was channeling frustration over loss of control of his government into tarnishing Obaseki’s good image.

Osagie in a statement in Benin City, said:,  “We have read Senator Monday Okpebholo’s empty rhetoric about a phantom N96 billion fraud, which he is using to deflect the people’s attention from his lacklustre performance after 100 days in office.

“Indeed, it is a dangerous situation when you have a poorly educated individual thrust into the intricate task of administering the affairs of an entire state government, resulting in an obvious outcome: a total breakdown of the administrative process and an arrogation of power to himself, which the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not avail him.”

According to him, “A good place to begin deflating the lengthy but incoherent statement by Okpebholo through his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, titled, “N96bn LG Fraud: Nazi Obaseki and Fellow Treasury Looters Have Murdered Sleep in Edo State,” is that when you read the hogwash, you find that even though His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki’s name is prominently stated in the headline, he is conspicuously absent in the allegations peddled throughout the baseless report.

“So assuming but not conceding that these allegations had any meaning, none of them had any bearing on Obaseki, and therefore, the hogwash itself vindicates the very person it is trying so hard to indict.

“We, therefore, call on all Edo people and Nigerians to pay no attention to this libelous publication as it is nothing but the desperate vituperation of an illegally enthroned governor who knows that his time is up.

“We urge everyone to continue to pray that the judiciary stands its ground and stand with justice by ensuring that the electoral heist which was conducted on September 21 2024, during the governorship election is overturned.

“Edo people should rest assured that Dr. Asue Ighodalo and the PDP  have their eyes firmly fixed on the challenges that the people currently face and will immediately begin to address these problems once their stolen mandate is restored.”