… Edo Has Retrogress 50 Years Back – APC

… Describes Obaseki As Insensitive

By Joseph Kanjo, Benin

The All Progressives Congress, APC, Edo State chapter on Tuesday expressioned dissatisfaction over governance in the state, raising the alarm that the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led PDP administration has mortgaged future of the state and generation unborn.

The party said with the present manner at which Obaseki is governing the state, he had taken the state backward to 50 years term, further describing the government as being insensitive to the yearnings of the people.

Peter Uwadiae, Esq. , state Publicity Secretary of the party who raised the alarm in Benin while briefing newsmen, said the Obadeki-led administration is not just constructing projects in the state, but also destroying legacy projects built by previous administrations in the state without building new ones.

The APC publicity scribe who lamented that Edo people were unfortunate for having Obaseki as governor, said the promises of providing qualify healthcare, education and other infrastructure were not just unmet, he is rather destroying the ones he met on ground.

He said: “The present day Edo State is experiencing the worst adminstration in this forth republic.This is the worst government Edo people have ever experienced since the state was carved out of old Bendel State. And I will say this for the record. That we are very concerned as a party, we have made the Federal Government known that apart from the fact that he is destroying the legacy projects, the local government today is no longer there.

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“The legacy projects that were built, from the time of Lucky Igbinedion’s administration till when Obaseki came on board, most of them have been destroyed, and not only destroyed, they have been rendered disfunctional, and comatose by this government.”

He continued, “When the library at Sapele Road was built, it was a legacy project in Edo, it is only a government that is insensitive to the people’s educational pursuit that can sacrifice such an edifice for an economic enterprise. I do not think Edo people will know the negative impact of that destruction until few years to come.”

On the demolition of the state-owned Central Hospital, Uwadiae said, “We have find out that the Central Hospital has been mortgaged for commercial entity, as against the very significant impact our health sector. It is very disheartening and most unexpected of a government that said it would build for the people the best health infrastructure.

“With the demolition of the edifice, it shows that this government does not set its priority right. A government that said it wants to revamp the health sector, now demolishing an existing central hospital and using it as a park shows that the government is a directionless government, government that has nothing to offer the people.”

While alleging that the Edoline Transportation in Port Harcourt, Bayelsa and Abuja have been sold out to private enterprise, the APC state Publicity Secretary asked where the funds from sales and other inernally generated revenues are and what they have been used for.

On education he said, “Obaseki has been talking about EdoBEST, there are no teachers in most government owned schools particularly in the villages. instead of buying laptop to students in the village where there is no network in the name of whatsoever, why not employ teachers so they could have a one-on-one interface with these students.”

On Security, he said contrary to Obaseki’s Commissioner’s claims, there have been series of killings and kidnapping in the state, recalling that a whole community was recently invaded by herders few weeks ago.

“No state governor that is being owe his Security Vote every month. Edo State Government, from available resources, collect nothing less than N750m as security vote every month from the Federal Government, how is Edo State Governor utilizing that security vote?”

He further accused the government of excess borrowing without a commensurating work or project in the state.

He further lamented: “We have been Mortgaged, there is borrowing left and right, and in all these borrowing, there is no accountability. You don’t just borrow money for the sake of borrowing, when you borrow money, you channel it to a particular project. There is no project tied to the borrowing this present Edo Government is doing.

“If you compare Edo with other neighbouring states in terms of infrastructure, you will find out that we are 50 years back. No state is being managed as Edo State is being managed by Obaseki.”

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He continued, “The Internally Generated Revenue has increased yet we don’t see the impact in our state. No road is being constructed.

“Today, an average market woman including pure water seller is make to pay for four to five tickets, and it is so arranged that the fund goes directly to the government confer.

“The Internally Generated Revenue of Edo State has skyrocketed, where is all these money being utilised on.

“This government has not only fail, it is hacken to a dictatorship. It is a government that does not have the intellectual capacity to lead the state. A government that has taken us aback, the government that does not respect the rule of law, it is a government that does not respect the yearnings and aspiration of those who brought them on board.”