Hon Charles Idahosa, a former ally of Governor Godwin Obaseki, on Thursday, expressed strong criticism regarding the commissioning of the State Secretariat by former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
Idahosa pointed out that the project was originally constructed and inaugurated in 1973 by the then governor of Midwest and later Bendel State, the late Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia.
Idahosa further condemned Obaseki’s approach to project management, particularly the lack of transparency in disclosing project costs and details to the public.
He stated, “How can Governor Godwin Obaseki say he is commissioning a new Secretariat? The Secretariat was built and commissioned by Dr Samuel Ogbemudia as military governor of Bendel State in 1973. There was a time part of it was gutted by fire and it was rebuilt.”
Idahosa continued his criticism by highlighting what he perceived as an unnecessary ceremony. “It is a shame that he brought former President Goodluck to come and commission a project that has already been commissioned about 50 years ago. I am shocked that they have allowed him to get away with everything he is doing because he is governor. We have former governors here, we have former national chairmen of parties here, and they just allow him to get away with whatever he is doing. Is this how things are done?”
Idahosa also drew comparisons with the practices of other governors, such as Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, emphasizing the importance of transparency and public accountability. “There is one strange thing he also did: look at Wike and other governors. When he was governor of Rivers State and now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, before a project is commissioned, you see the commissioner in charge of the project who will talk about the project and all that was done, you will see the contractor who will talk about the project. But in this case of Obaseki, there is nothing like that. Nobody knows the cost of the project, nobody knows the contractor, nobody knows the kind of work they did.”
Idahosa concluded by reiterating his disbelief in the project’s legitimacy. “But the truth of the matter is that there is no new project that Obaseki brought the former president to come and commission. It is unfortunate that this is the level Edo State has degenerated to and nobody is talking or calling the governor to order.”
Regarding the regular payment of workers’ salaries, Idahosa was equally critical. He stated, “I am shocked that the governor’s payment of salary of employees is now a news story that should be reported. Is it not his responsibility to pay the salaries of civil servants working in the state? When has payment of the salary of civil servants become an achievement? Who is supposed to pay their salaries? It is quite unfortunate.”
