Former Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has stated that the claim by Senator Monday Okpebholo, the incumbent governor of Edo State, about the State’s debt profile is a blatant lie and should be disregarded as a cocktail of complete falsehood.
In a statement to Naija News on Wednesday, Obaseki’s Media Adviser, Crusoe Osagie, said that this falsehood by Okpebholo is a smokescreen to mask his incompetence, lack of ideas, and inability to perform in office.
He said: “For the record, the major debts owed by Edo State were loans from the World Bank, which were taken under the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole-led administration, His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, the immediate past governor of the State judiciously managed for the past eight years, ensuring they are properly serviced and contained from expanding.
Osagie stated categorically that the Obaseki-led government left over ₦30 billion in the State’s account for the incumbent administration.
He disclosed that details of all debts owed by the state government were clearly documented in the transition report handed over by the Obaseki-led administration to the Okpebholo government.
We therefore challenge the Okpebholo government to provide proof of debt that he claims the state owes, and to which institutions the government owes the debt.
As we have repeatedly pointed out, Okpebholo’s real challenge lies in his lack of capacity and unpreparedness for office. We, therefore, urge him to settle down, build capacity, and focus on working for the people of Edo State during the short time he will spend at Dennis Osadebey Avenue, rather than resorting to unintelligent lies to score cheap political points,” Obaseki’s aide said.
