By Ozioruva Aliu, BENIN CITY
FORMER Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, yesterday, carpeted his successor, Governor Monday Okpebholo, over allegations of his administration leaving behind a debt of N600 billion.
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The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua at a media briefing to mark Okpebholo’s one year in office, said over N178 billion debts owed road contractors.
He accused Obaseki of telling contractors to get loans and work without making provision for their payment.
However, media aide to Obaseki, Crusoe Osagie in a video call to journalists denied the allegation.
He added that such false narratives were among the reasons countries like the United States of America see Nigeria as an unsafe country and even threatening military intervention.
He said: “I think it has become important for us to underscore the dangers in some of these irresponsible comments that they are making. Nigeria, we can say safely, is currently facing an existential threat.
“The head of the government of another nation has declared our government an irresponsible government, a shameful government and a disgraced government.
“So, when comments like this begin to come out of a state like Edo also governed by the All Progressives Congress, APC, it gives credence to the attitude that we are receiving from foreign nations.
“Nigeria has a debt management office in Abuja. There is no government that has the power to, at whatever level, local government, state government or federal government, draw loans or enter into any debt arrangement without the knowledge and approval of the Debt Management Office.
“Can you kindly ask, is the N600 billion he is speaking about recorded in the Debt Management Office?
“If Obasaki took such loans or had such indebtedness, at least you can find it in the DMO.
“So he just comes out and spews lies and makes this statement and it gives the impression that the state is being governed by touts.
“It gives impression that the state is being governed by people who don’t understand what it means to run government and all of this rubs off negatively on the president of the country and on the country in general.
“And then it goes on to reinforce this belief by foreign nations that our country is being governed by people who lack knowledge about governance, and that we don’t have a government.”
He added that the Radisson Hotel, whose ownership has remained controversial, was clearly stated in the transition report Obaseki handed over.
“Radisson is into a business agreement in Edo State with all T’s crossed and all I’s dotted. Every record kept in the transition report,” he added.
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