Edo Governor-elect Okpebholo speaks on borrowing N5bn for inauguration

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The Edo State Governor-elect, Monday Okpebholo, has denied borrowing funds for the inauguration ceremony slated for Tuesday, November 12, 2024.

The outgoing governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, had accused Okpebholo’s transition committee of borrowing N5 billion to organise the ceremony.

Obaseki’s administration also accused the governor-elect of not inviting him to the inauguration ceremony, sparking concerns about the transfer of power.

However, the transition committee, in a statement issued on Sunday by one of its members, Kassim Afegbua, said Okpebholo had opted to fund the inauguration from his personal resources to avoid any unnecessary expenses.

Afegbua said the decision was made after the committee’s meeting with the Secretary to the State Government and a Permanent Secretary, who requested an inauguration budget.

Afegbua stated that they declined to present a budget to avoid potential accusations of misusing the funds.

He lashed out at Obaseki’s administration, alleging that the governor was frustrating the inauguration process and overburdening the new administration with last-minute decisions.

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He said the governor-elect was committed to making life better for the people of Edo State and did not believe in an ostentatious display of resources.

Afegbua noted: “Suddenly, Godwin Obaseki realises the ephemerality of power and now resorts to lamentations about an ongoing inauguration without extending an invitation to him.

“We found this to be generously laughable and self-indicting.

“In other climes, an outgoing governor or president organises the inauguration of the incoming, but for the painful loss of the PDP at the election, Governor Obaseki and his co-travellers are doing everything possible to frustrate the inauguration of the incoming governor.

“Rather than sit down to plan the inauguration event as it is done in other climes, Governor Obaseki is busy planting landmines on the path to smooth transfer of power.

“From the transition committee to the inauguration committee, despite all the cooperation we have extended to them, what we have received in return is frustration and a deliberate plot to overburden the new administration with all manner of misplaced government decisions.

“We totally frown at these dubious plots which are clear negations of the standard procedures of power transfer the world over.”

Afegbua added that many government vehicles had been carted away by government officials, leaving only one functional vehicle at the Edo State Government House.

The Star