By Jethro Ibileke
The transition committee for the inauguration of Senator Monday Okpebholo as Governor of Edo State, has accused the outgoing government of Mr Godwin Obaseki of frustrating and planting landmines on its path.
A member of the committee, Prince Kassim Afegbua, stated this in a statement on Sunday, in response to Mr Obaseki’s allegation that he and his government were not carried along in the inauguration ceremony.
Afegbua also debunked Obaseki’s allegation that the APC is planning to borrow between ₦2 and ₦5 billion to fund the inauguration.
Recall that Obaseki at the inauguration of a 10-man caretaker committee of the State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alleged that the APC was already spending into the N27 billion he left for the payment for projects and other obligations by his administration.
He further alleged that APC was borrowing between ₦2 billion and ₦5 billion to finance the inauguration of the incoming government of Senator Monday Okpebholo.
But, reacting to these allegations, Afegbua noted that in other climes, an outgoing governor or president organises the inauguration of the incoming.
He said: “But for the painful loss of the PDP at the election, Governor Obaseki and his co-travellers are doing everything possible to frustrate the inauguration of the incoming Governor.
“Rather than sit down to plan the inauguration event as it is done in other climes, Governor Obaseki is busy planting landmines on the path to smooth transfer of power.
“From the transition committee to the inauguration committee, despite all the cooperation we have extended to them, what we have received in return is frustration and deliberate plot to overburden the new administration with all manner of misplaced government decisions.
“We totally frown at these dubious plots which are clear negations of the standard procedures of power transfer the world over.
“Our inauguration team met with the Secretary to the State Government, who later handed our team over to another Permanent Secretary. The said Permanent Secretary had nothing on her table. She asked that our team should present an inauguration budget, and we declined because we wouldn’t want them to accuse us of spending bogus funds for inauguration.
“When we reported to the Governor-elect, he opted out of such an arrangement and took over the responsibility of funding the inauguration from his own personal resources.
“He has also cut down on the activities to make the entire ceremony a bit moderate. He doesn’t believe in an ostentatious display of resources when a lot of Edo people have been impoverished by Governor Obaseki. He’s of the view that inauguration shouldn’t be an elaborate event.”
Tje former state Commissioner for Information disclosed that the inauguration committee has “not borrowed a kobo from anywhere.
“We are conscious of our responsibilities to make life better for the average Edo person. Why should we borrow money because of inauguration?” he queried.