Federal roads repair refund: Edo APC, Obaseki in war of words

Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration, yesterday, engaged in a war of words over state of federal roads in the state and the refunds made to the state on roads rehabilitated by the administration of Adams Oshiomhole.

Addressing newsmen at the state secretariat of the party, state chairman of APC, Col David Imuse (retd), accused Obaseki of abandoning the Benin Water Storm project, which he said has contributed to the flooding in the state capital.

He also accused him of not prioritising the issue of roads “unlike his predecessor, Oshiomhole, who worked on all the federal roads within Benin City to make life comfortable for the people.

“You are aware that over N16 billion was refunded to the state under the watch of Obaseki for federal roads fixed by his predecessor, Oshiomhole, during his tenure as governor.

“In addition to these financial improprieties, Governor Obaseki has shown a disturbing pattern of demolishing public and private property, including but not restricted to the Central Hospital, which land he allocated to his friends to build a museum that will not see the light of the day.

“Instead of prioritising crucial infrastructural developments, Mr. Obaseki has chosen to build supermarkets all over the state, which are over 45 per cent owned by him and his cronies.

“The statement made by the Edo State government, accusing the Federal Government of neglecting its responsibilities, is a clear attempt to divert attention from these failures and mismanagement. It is disheartening to see such petty politics being played when the lives and safety of innocent Edo citizens albeit Nigerians are at stake.”

But a statement by the Special Adviser on Media Projects to Obaseki, Crusoe Osagie, lampooned the APC, which he said had subjected Nigerians to untold hardships through its policies at the federal level.

He described Imuse’s comments as “a slap on the faces of citizens of Edo State and, indeed, all Nigerians, considering the fact that it is his party, the APC, that is superintending over the gradual liquidation of the Nigerian state. Nigeria is gasping for breath under the chokehold of the APC.

“Instead of Imuse to come to Edo people with unreserved apologies over their obvious failure to steady the ship of state, he is sauntering around with arrogant statements, grandstanding and attempting to shift the blame for the suffering of the masses to an innocent governor, whose effort in the efficient management of the Edo economy has so far prevented a descent into anarchy.”