…It’s a diversionary tactic, says ex-gov

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has constituted a 14-man state Assets Verification Committee to probe the immediate past Godwin Obaseki government.

Fred Itua, spokesman for the governor, yesterday said the committee would be inaugurated tomorrow He listed the committee members as Ernest Umak – hihe (Chairman), Anslem Ojezua (Deputy Chairman) and Frank Edebor (Secretary).

Others are Kassim Afegbua, Patrick Ikhariale, Taiwo Akerele, Patrick Idiake, Rasaq Bello-Osagie, Fredrick Unopah, Abdallah Eugenia, Patrick Obahiagbon, Kenny Okojie, Lyndsey Tes-Sorae and Abass Braimoh.

Itua said: “In furtherance of the governor’s initiative to set the state on the path of development and accountable leadership, the need to set up a State Assets Verification Committee becomes very mperative.

“Despite repeated calls for a more holistic database of the Assets and Liabilities of the previous administration, the Godwin Obaseki government came up with very scanty and limited assets and liabilities of the state.”

However, Obaseki dismissed the probe as “a diversionary tactic and a smokescreen to mask his incompetence and unpreparedness for office.”

His media aide, Crusoe Osagie, also said Okpebholo is devoid of ideas and lacks a clear vision to drive development in the state.

He said the governor is “acting as if the people were an undiscerning mob and is now staging a spectacle similar to a gladiatorial duel in the Ancient Roman Colosseum, with the plan to deceive the people with such theatrics and diversionary probes”.

Osagie added: “This is another in the list of the barrage of meaningless probes which the governor and his directionless government is embarking on since they got into Dennis Osadebey Avenue through the back door.

“From probing civil servants’ employment to probing Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), and probing vehicles and other assets of government, among others, the governor has continued to show that he is bereft of ideas and lacks a clear vision for the development of the State and has therefore resorted to these charades of empty probes to buy time and distract from his incompetence and unpreparedness for office.”