Allegations
and counter allegations have been trending in the administration by the
Oshiomhole led government in Edo State. While some in the opposition clique had
claimed that the state is indebted to the bourgeois sum of 350 billion naira,
others in the support clique had countered such as fatal propaganda channelled
to deceive the confidence which the citizens of Edo State had reposed on the
personality of the state governor and his co-administrators. This wagging
tongues and insightful counters have been in ambiguity until the governor
decided to illuminate the whole scenario in the very presence of the Edo South Association
of Clan Heads (The Enigies) on Friday 18 December in Benin City.
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| Governor Adams Oshiomhole addressing a gathering |
According to the full report
of administrative events as delivered by Governor Oshiomhole on a podium, he cast
some blame on the manner of absurdity which derailed the certitude of certain
people to come up with diverting and misleading information just to coast home
some cheap political relevance at the expense of the citizenry. In his address,
it is still unimaginable for people to just believe in the fake news and
stories by the PDP without attempt to ascertain what really the actual truth
is. The critics had come up with some
fallacious figures, making the entire people of the state to believe that Edo
State is indebted to a huge sum of 350 billion naira and without any proof. He stated that the
only debt owed by the state government is the 25 billion naira bond collected
in 2010; and the bond is being serviced and will be fully paid by the end of his
administration.
In his right words, he said:
“the only huge loan we have taken was the 25 billion naira bond which we took
in 2010, and by December, that loan would have been completely liquidated
because we are paying 530 million naira every month, and it was structured such
that by the end of my tenure, the loan is liquidated.” He also reacted to the
gossip that he would be handing over huge debts to his successor after the
completion of his 8-year tenure mandate. According to his words:“...so, I am
not handing over any bond to another governor. If he wants to take another
bond, he will be in the position to do so because we have already liquidated
the existing one...”
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| Governor Adams Oshiomhole in the office |
Moreover, people have
castigated and criticized the state government decision to take the World Bank
Loan of 75 million dollars. Many from the opposition camp had cast some
disheartening assertions over the borrowing tendency from the World Bank, which
the state government had claimed was for some imminent capital projects in the
state. The 75 million dollars which has equivalent naira value of 14.9 billion,
has been a subject of commotion and contention right from the time the loan
approval was forwarded by the Presidency to the House of Senate for onward
statutory appendages. However, the governor had thrown some clarity on the
position of the loan, which he said would attract a single digit interest rate
when receive, and would be repaid over a period of 20 years. In his own words,
he said:“...even the $75 million World Bank loan with interest of just 1%, as
we speak, we have not got the money...”
Little did the same
opposition camp say about the salary situation of the state. Surprisingly, the
state is among the few states in the country which has not owed workers
salaries amidst the federal revenue allocation fluctuation which has rendered
many state incapable to meet the salaries obligation as due on them. It can
still be recalled sister states such as Osun, Imo, Rivers etc, owed workers
salaries without the assurance or means of immediate payment. Some states even
owed workers up to eight months salaries without plans to set off the arrears
and better option of not to perpetuate in the wages indebtedness crisis in
future. However, according to the governor, a state like Edo with the current
low monthly federal revenue allocation which can hardly offset the recurrent
expenditure of the state, deserves some accolades from the opposition camp and
the critics. Other states have been borrowing to pay salaries but that has
never happened in the state. Even with the dwindling oil revenue which connotes
the fall in the monthly state allocation from the federation account, Edo State
has managed to stand above board by meeting the wages obligation of workers.
The governor rightly said in his words that: “...we have not borrowed one naira
to pay salaries; many other states are borrowing to pay salaries, we will never
do that.”
The governor explained to the Council of Enigies
in his address that, his intention for the state is towards prosperity and not
backwardness or adversity. He assured the traditional leaders that, with the administrative
foundation laid by his government, the state is fully sure of moving forward
even after his tenure completion and exit from the office. However, he lamented
some setbacks during his leadership in the past seven years, as some of his intentions
for the state were not accomplished. Such intention is the Benin City Business
District Master Plan project; but he reiterated that the next government would
look into the project in effect to give the city centre a beautiful portrait and
elevation.
SADOH MS' BLOG
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