Tony Osauzo, Benin
Edo-based human rights activist, Patrick Eholor, yesterday, asked Governor Godwin Obaseki to account for the millions of dollars the state borrowed from the World Bank and other financial institutions.
Eholor’s request is coming on the heels of revelations by the Debt Management Office (DMO) in April that Edo State foreign debt portfolio stands at $276.25 million, second to Lagos State with $1.43 billion.
Addressing journalists in Benin, Eholor alleged that the state government has done only 12 percent roads, considering the huge amount it borrowed from the World Bank.
He alleged that his findings indicated that most of the inner city roads in Benin and other parts of the state were funded through State Employment and Expenditure for Results (SEEFOR), World Bank assisted projects and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and wondered what the state had done with all the funds borrowed.
“Today, DMO has published that our debt profile has risen to $276.25 million and if converted, it means Edo State government is owing N145 billion. What that means is that Obaseki has borrowed over N100 billion.
“We demand to know what he has done with the money he borrowed, if he has questioned the N45 billion debt he inherited. I have contacted my lawyer on behalf of Edo citizens using the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act to tell us what he has done with the money,” Eholor said.
In his reaction, Obaseki’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, said the governor is coordinating all available resources towards the improvement of the lives of Edo people.
“The question the activist should ask is how come he can see more NDDC projects in Edo State today compared to years before. The answer is simply that Obaseki is providing good leadership and ensuring all funds meant for development from various arms and agencies of government are used as allocated.
“As for the state’s indebtedness to international finance institutions, these are accumulated figures of funds received by this government and previous governments,” he said.
Meanwhile, all seem not well in the ranks of members of the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as some members of the party met in Benin on Wednesday on the platform of APC Revival Group.
It was learnt that those present expressed reservations with the way the party was being run and alleged marginalisation of party members by the government.
The meeting said to have been convened by former attorney general and commissioner for justice, Henry Idahagbon and former member of the House of Representatives, Samson Osagie, was chaired by Pa Festus Evbuonwan.
In its resolution, the meeting urged members across the 18 councils to work round the clock to ensure the revival of the party irrespective of the alleged abandonment of leaders by Governor Obaseki.
The group passed a vote of confidence in the leadership style of Oshiomhole and vowed to protect his laudable legacies in the state.