Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki; the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the September 21 election in the state, Dr. Asue Ighodalo; his running mate, Osarodion Ogie; and Edo Chairman of the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarret Tenebe; have clashed over alleged monumental fraud and underdevelopment of the state.

Tenebe, yesterday at a news conference in Benin, accused Obaseki, a chieftain of the PDP, of strings of corrupt schemes deployed to siphon Edo state of its resources, in connivance with Ighodalo and Ogie, while urging the anti-graft agencies to thoroughly investigate them, thereby prosecuting the governorship candidate and his running mate without immunity.

He said: “The state is happy with steps taken in relation to the investigation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) interventions that were squandered by Obaseki. We are in receipt of an invitation letter No. CR: 3000/EFCC/ABJ/HQ/SOT/VOL. 2/2024, dated 19th April, 2024 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to Edo State Commissioner of Finance, and the response by the Secretary to State Government (Ogie), via his letter of May 7, 2024 with Ref. SGA.440/T3/82.

“We urge the EFCC to follow up their investigation to prosecute and recover the agriculture and other sundry loans diverted by this present administration in Edo State.

“We wish to draw the attention of the general public to two projects that were designed by Obaseki, and supervised by his political godson, Asue Ighodalo, through his law firm of Banwo and Ighodalo, and Obaseki’s Afrinvest. A systematic pattern of contract splitting and variation was deployed by the Edo Ministry of Finance to drain off the state’s resources.”

Edo chairman of APC also accused Obaseki’s government of lack of transparency, thereby allegedly mortgaging the future of unborn generations of Edo

He said: “Obaseki’s company, Afrinvest, raises capital for projects at a Management Fee and Commission, in the name of Edo State, and the loans on Edo State. Afrinvest also provides Business Advisory and Project Finance at inflated fees.

“Greenfield Consultancy, owned by a close associate of Obaseki, has been the one handling all civil service reforms in Edo State at outrageous fees. The civil servants are privately grumbling, and are volunteering information on this unholy scheme.

“The latest plan by Obaseki to make the activities of his administration paperless is a criminal plan that has been designed by one ‘Ugo,’ who is in charge of e-governance, and has concluded with Edo governor to destroy all documents relating to fraudulent contracts, with the excuse that Edo Government has gone paperless. ‘Ugo’ has been instructed to delete the server containing sensitive documents, when the PDP loses the election on September 21, 2024. We hereby warn Obaseki and the head of e-governance, ‘Ugo’ not to delete the approvals of contracts on e-gov.

“We are calling on the EFCC to immediately begin the investigation of the law firm of Banwo and Ighodalo, as it connects to the treasury of Edo State government, relating to many legal advisory services the PDP candidate received huge sums of money for services not provided.”

Tenebe also accused Edo governor of inflating the contract of the ongoing construction of Radisson Hotel in the Government Reservation Area (GRA), Benin, from N15.3 billion on August 23, 2023, when the contract was awarded to Shapoorji Pallonji Nigeria Limited to N23 billion now, and with further sub-contracts of N2.1 billion, for supply of, installation and commission of MEP/HVAC mechanical works equipment), as well as N1.6 billion for supply and installation of kitchen and laundry equipment, and N703 million for installation of aluminium glazing works and alucobond cladding awarded to All Facave Limited, with over N28 billion being wasted.

He stated that the Lagos-based law firm of Banwo and Ighodalo was awarded the contract for legal advisory services at N1.5 billion by Obaseki, in addition to Ighodalo’s legal contract drafting, Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) writing  in the last eight years, at ridiculous and bogus fees.

Edo chairman of APC insisted that residents of the state deserved to know the real owner of Edo Refinery (ERPC), located in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo, which he said Obaseki claimed it belonged to Edo government, but he expressed surprise that it was now the property of a private company, with 100 per cent ownership by Michael Osime AIPCC Energy.

Edo Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, in his reaction, asked the leaders of APC in the state to tell Edo people what the party’s standard bearer, Senator Monday Okpebholo, would do differently for residents of the state.

Nehikhare said: “I have just read a statement from the chairman of the APC in Edo State. It is unfortunate that we still have someone heading a political party, without idea of how the government is run, but believes in sensationalism.