Obaseki inherited N55 billion debt in 2016, leaving N410 billion in 2024:

The Transition Committee of the All Progressives Congress has recommended a probe into more than N410 billion in local and foreign debts allegedly owed by the Edo government.

The committee made the recommendation on Monday in its report presented to Monday Okpebholo ahead of his inauguration on Tuesday as Edo’s fifth democratically elected governor.

Presenting the document, Pius Odubu, the chairman of the committee, said the committee was presented with N410 billion in debts as against the N55 billion inherited by the outgoing government in 2016.

“For those of you who have the capability to fact-check, you will find out that the indebtedness today is much more. It is over N500billion,” he said.

Mr Odubu, an erstwhile deputy governor, said the committee also recommended a review of memoranda of understanding on the management of Central and Stella Obasanjo hospitals.

“All employment carried out in the recent past should be cancelled, while the governor should investigate the true ownership of the Ossiomo power plant and Radisson Blu Hotel.

“The same with the Museum of West Africa Arts-MOWAA. We deserve to know the state’s equity in these companies as the outgoing government went blank on these enquiries.

“We also demanded a comprehensive review of the World Bank-funded EdoBest programme, and a probe should be instituted to uncover its rather opaque operations,” Mr Odubu explained.

“Mr Odubu added, “All major contracts issued by the state government under the Ministry of Roads and Bridges should be reviewed as they appear not to have followed due process, including the payment advance awarded to the contractors.

“The procurement agency indicted the government in its own report to the transition committee. Hence, we have advised the incoming governor to take a critical review.”

The committee chairman also called for streamlining the ICT ecosystem in the state, which he said appeared to be a duplication of duties.

“The outgoing government didn’t provide audited financial statements published or unpublished. Hence, the committee is advising the government to institute an inquiry into this.

“The government couldn’t account for the number of teachers in the state. Hence, we demand a proper teacher headcount,” Mr Odubu said.

The committee chairman said the document, comprised of a 24-page report and 800 annexures, was a product of three weeks of rigorous assignments, meetings, interactions, engagements and analyses of the documents presented to the committee.

(NAN)