The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has assessed the performance of Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration over the past three months, claiming that the widespread suffering experienced by the people of Edo was largely avoidable.
In his address titled “Edo PDP-State-of-the-State Address,” the chairman of the party’s Caretaker Committee, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, stated that the state has seen significant setbacks across multiple sectors. He highlighted areas such as education, healthcare, security, economy, infrastructure, power, and technology as being particularly affected.
“From education, where Edo has taken a notorious back seat, ranking least on the list of States with top priority and budgetary allocations for the sector, to the health sector, where even the most basic medical consumables are unavailable, to security, economy infrastructure, power, and technology, among others,” Aziegbemi said. “These setbacks are even more disheartening given the unprecedented progress the State witnessed over the last eight years under the immediate past government of His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.”
He further criticized the leadership, saying, “Having a leader with no depth, no vision, and no clear plan, one who has effectively put the state in reverse gear, is most unfortunate and deeply disappointing. We express our sympathy to the people of Edo State, who have had to endure the harsh realities of the clueless governance, economic stagnation, chaos, and regression under the Okpebholo administration.”
Aziegbemi also reported that in the past two weeks, at least 35 innocent Edo citizens were killed by militant groups and herdsmen, while several others were injured and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed. He claimed the people of Edo were under siege, stating, “From Edo South to Edo Central to Edo North, killings and violent attacks have become rampant.”
The PDP chairman noted that while the state was once considered one of the safest places in Nigeria under the leadership of former Governor Godwin Obaseki, it has now gained a notorious reputation for kidnapping and violent crimes.
In response to these allegations, the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Honourable Paul Ohonbamu, dismissed them as completely false.
He specifically addressed the claim that the government had failed to provide support for Ambrose Alli University (AAU), clarifying that the government began paying a monthly subvention of N500 million to the university in November. He also debunked the accusation that Governor Okpebholo pays commissioners N1 million at every Executive Council meeting.
On the issue of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Ohonbamu stated that IGR has actually been on the rise under the Okpebholo administration, reaching N10.4 billion in January, surpassing the highest IGR under Obaseki, which was N7.8 billion.
Regarding the security situation, Ohonbamu also denied the claim of worsening insecurity, noting that under Governor Okpebholo, killings, which were rampant before, have been significantly reduced. He pointed to amendments made to the anti-Cultism Law and the demolition of houses linked to kidnappers as evidence of the administration’s commitment to security.
Ohonbamu went on to claim that after the PDP lost the last governorship election, officials of the Obaseki government vandalized the Control and Command Centre at Government House, stealing equipment meant for the center’s operations. He further criticized the Obaseki administration for failing to pay members of the Edo Security Network, accusing some of them of using weapons to perpetrate crimes. In contrast, he noted that the Okpebholo administration has “mopped up over 5000 guns” and provided security agencies with over 60 vehicles and hundreds of motorbikes to combat crime.
In closing, the commissioner condemned the PDP’s press conference, describing it as “vexatious and antithetical to good conscience,” and asserted that it was aimed at maintaining the remnants of the PDP in the state. “PDP is like a matchbox without matches,” he added.
