Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo yesterday announced plans to probe the $10 million reportedly spent on the state-owned newspaper, The Nigerian Observer, by former Governor Godwin Obaseki.

This also emerged on a day Chris Nehikhare, the PDP publicity secretary, in a statement, urged the governor to ask his Information Commissioner, Chief Press Secretary, and others about the machines they took custody of on February 7 at The Observer premises.

However, Okpebholo made the announcement during an unscheduled visit to the Observer premises with top officials of his administration to inspect the facilities yesterday in Benin City.

Okpebholo noted that the once-vibrant newspaper was shut down by Obaseki for supposed renovations, adding that the company’s condition had worsened instead of meeting the goal of competing with other national dailies.

He said: “I visited The Observer newspaper company to verify the claims of $10 million spent by Obaseki to revamp the media outfit. “The premises were locked, and no machines or staff were visible.

If there had been equipment, people would have been working there, especially given the resources spent.”