The reinstated deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, on Friday said he was offering the sum of one million Naira as reward to anyone who has information about alleged looting of government property and funds as the outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki administration approaches its terminal date of November 11, 2024.
Recall that the governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, had in a statement on Wednesday, raised the alarm that the outgoing administration was piling up debts for the incoming government through last-minute acquisition of shady loans, as well as wanton looting of government properties and finances.
In a statement signed by his special assistant on Media, Godswill Inegbe, Okpebholo directed banks and financial institutions to stop dealing with the outgoing government, while also calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) and the Department of State Services, (DSS) to investigate the allegations of looting.
In a swift response, the state government described the allegations as spurious, wild, and barefaced lies. Special adviser to Governor Obaseki on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, in a statement, advised Okpebholo’s associates to wait until November 12 to begin governance instead of making spurious allegations and claims aimed to create the impression that there were two governors in Edo State.
And in another statement on Friday, Osagie handed Okpebholo a 48-hour ultimatum to substantiate his allegations or apologise unreservedly to the state government.
Challenging the governor-elect, Osagie said “The Edo State Government is giving a 48-hour ultimatum to Senator Monday Okpebholo to provide verifiable proof to substantiate his claims that government officials are looting and vandalising assets in the State.
“We are a very serious government and there is no room for such spurious and unfounded allegations which is why we are demanding that Okpebholo and his handlers should within the next 48 hours provide credible and verifiable proof to substantiate their claims Okpehbolo must understand that the business of governance in Edo State is very serious, and the office of Governor is not for palace jesters.
“It is on this ground that we demand that he, within the next 48 hours, provide empirical evidence to substantiate his spurious looting allegations against the state government. Otherwise, he must tender unreserved apology to the State Government”.
Rather, Shaibu, at a press briefing in Benin City on Friday, raised fresh allegations, and insisted, without offering any, that he had evidence backing the alleged looting in some quarters and last-minute borrowing from some financial institutions.
He also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) the Department of State Services, (DSS) and other relevant agencies to look into the alleged misappropriation of funds meant for projects in the ministry of roads and bridges, ongoing Radisson Hotel project, as well as last-minute appointments by the outgoing administration.
According to the deputy governor, “I have received disturbing reports of banks and other financial institutions granting last-minute loans to Governor Godwin Obaseki. This is alarming, and not in good faith, and on that backdrop, I am issuing a strong warning to banks and financial institutions: do not grant any loans or issue financial instruments to Governor Obaseki or any official of the state government in whatever capacity or office.
“Also, information at my disposal shows there are last-minute plans to siphon state’s fund using NGOs as a decoy, under the guise of supporting such organisations’ projects and activities. These actions undermine our state’s financial stability and potential mortgage of the future of Edo State. I dissociate myself and my office from any such dealings.”
Shabu said there were reports of indiscriminate and clandestine appointments into the civil and public service with outrageous grade levels, and “I condemn these actions and dissociate myself and my office from any involvement. These appointments have not only undermined the civil service’s integrity but also perpetuated a culture of cronyism.”
While further alleging that fresh appointments of consultants were being made and backdated, allegedly to justify outrageous expenditures, he claimed that government properties were being looted from various ministries.
Shabu said as deputy governor, he was inviting the EFCC and ICPC to look into alleged massive contract fraud that had taken place in the ministry of roads and bridges and the entire government, adding that investigation was equally ongoing to unravel the alleged involvement of some Engineers in the Ministry, who accepted to assist a top official “to keep such funds with their registered company accounts with banks and later convert such to US dollars.”
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