Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State on Monday made a major allegation against his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki.
During a public event dedicated to the distribution of educational materials across the state's three senatorial districts, Okpebholo accused Obaseki of deliberately withholding school books and instructional materials that were donated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. These materials, intended for the benefit of school children in Edo State, had been stored away instead of being distributed.
Governor Okpebholo expressed his gratitude towards President Tinubu for his generous donation, which was meant to commemorate the President's first year in office. However, he criticized Obaseki's actions as an "act of wickedness," emphasizing that the former governor's refusal to distribute the books was unjustifiable.
Okpebholo stated, “These books you see here were donated by the President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for use by Edo children, but Obaseki refused to distribute the books to our children because the President’s face is affixed.”
The governor further elaborated on the situation, describing the warehouse filled with the donated books as a testament to Obaseki's alleged negligence. He argued that keeping these resources from the children was detrimental to their education and contrary to the claims of educational development under Obaseki's administration, which had been promoted through initiatives like Edobest.
Okpebholo asserted, “Keeping these books away from our children is wickedness, and his actions were wrong. He said he has developed the education system using Edobest, but what we see here today is not best for our children.”
This accusation is part of a broader context of political tension between the current and former administrations in Edo State. Okpebholo's administration has been vocal about various grievances against Obaseki, including allegations of financial mismanagement and lack of transparency during the transition period.
In response to these issues, Okpebholo established a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to review the assets and liabilities handed over by Obaseki's administration. This move, however, was met with criticism from Obaseki's camp, who dismissed it as a diversionary tactic.
Crusoe Osagie, a media aide to Obaseki, described the committee as a "smokescreen" and accused Okpebholo of attempting to distract the public from his own governance shortcomings. Osagie defended Obaseki's tenure as transparent and accountable, suggesting that Okpebholo's actions were politically motivated.
He stated, “Governor Okpebholo is merely staging a spectacle to distract Edo people from his incompetence. He seems to believe the people of Edo State can be fooled by these antics, but he will soon learn that they are wise and discerning.”
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