By Comrade Andy Asemota
The attention of many, particularly the people of Edo State at home and the diaspora, has been drawn to the recent statements of the political hawks seeking to tarnish the image of the State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, and his administration’s probe of the state’s assets.
The reasons for the ill-advised attacks launched by ex-governor, Godwin Obaseki and co-travellers against Governor Okpebholo could not have been more self-centered, pedestrian, puerile and ridiculous.
Apparently embarrassed or so, by the humiliation of the former ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21, 2024, Edo governorship poll, the immediate past governor and his apologists had since been watching the new governor’s every action and utterance.
On December 26, Obaseki and his media adviser, Crusoe Osagie, got what they needed again to get back at Okpebholo for their daily onslaught. It was the statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Musa Ikilor, on December 23 in Benin.
In the statement, the state government recalled its ban on unlicensed agents and touts from revenue collection across the state and recognized only Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS) licensed agents as revenue collectors to ensure the protection of citizens from any extortion and safe guard any leakages.
Following from the foregoing and for the purpose of emphasis, Edo State Government fully resolved that the system of revenue collection in the state shall solely be predicated on the existing template developed by the Edo State IRS in conjunction with the local government councils and the various associations.
Obaseki and his media quickly gave the statement their interpretation. They condemned, as an after thought, the government’s decision to return to the automated and technology based revenue collection system developed by EIRS during Obaseki regime.
The claim is to say the spurious, preposterous and calculated attempt to diminish the personality and integrity of Governor Okpebholo.
Indeed, it’s unfortunate that a system adopted under the past government could be twisted and ascribed to the ingenuity of Obaseki.
This is our tragedy.
Since present administration assume office last month, Obaseki and Crusoe, for lack of better things to do, are determined to distract the people and government of Edo State from the former governor’s lack of vision and the huge mis-governance that followed it.
At some point, it was false alarm about an imminent financial crisis and possible inability of then barely two week old government to meet it’s financial obligations in November and December.
At other points, the two or three investigation committees gave detractors of the present government sleepless nights.
Why should Okpebholo halt the ongoing efforts to verify the state’s assets and recovered hundreds of government’s vehicles, most of them luxury cars and Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) that found their ways into private hands?
This is the best time to find out what happened during the previous regime and straighten out things.
But if the government recoils to its shell, the state and it’s citizens would miss the opportunity when it would have been ideal.
Governor Okpebholo is proactive enough to constitute the panels on well-mapped out areas of the state development.
The good people of Edo State expect those invited by the committees to have their days in helping the investigations.
Those occasions will be the appropriate time to ask the former public office holders and their privileged friends pertinent questions and demand specific answers on critical assets and sectors.
Unfortunately, the former governor and his co-travellers are taking on Governor Okpebholo in all spheres of the media space. What a way to go!
The governor has been voted into power with a presumption that he has a vision that will work out for the benefit of Edo citizens. This is why Okpebholo’s detractors must allow him and his team to operate and succeed.
The opposition political adventur
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